


I'm gonna lure you into the dark

by Milaistryingtowrite



Category: Good Girls (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Alternative Universe - FBI, Assassination Attempt(s), Crime Fighting, Cute Kids, Dark Rio, F/M, Feelings Realization, Fighting Kink, Gun Kink, Organized Crime, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Protective Rio, Queen boss beth, Rough Sex, Semi-Public Sex, Slow Burn, The Blacklist AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-29
Updated: 2020-11-30
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:48:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 29,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26715511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Milaistryingtowrite/pseuds/Milaistryingtowrite
Summary: ...Then, it finally occurred to her and she felt a bit stupid for not asking it first.The most important question she should have asked before any others. Well, she could blame it on all the blood around her, painting everything red.“Who owns this warehouse, Turner?”Beth put a strand of strawberry blond hair behind her ear in a nervous tick, crossing her arms in a protective manner, as if she could protect herself from the reaction his words would cause her.He looked straight into her eyes.“Christopher Rio Hernández”---Blacklist/Soulmate AU where Beth is an FBI interrogator and Rio is a rich entrepreneur with too much money and very suspicious ties with the criminal world. When he becomes the target of a psychotic criminal in town, destiny makes them finally meet.
Relationships: Annie Marks & Ben Marks, Annie Marks & Rio, Beth Boland & Annie Marks, Beth Boland & Jim Turner, Beth Boland & Mick, Beth Boland & Rhea, Beth Boland & Ruby Hill, Beth Boland & Stan Hill, Beth Boland/Rio, Emma Boland/Jane Boland, Jane Boland & Marcus, Marcus & Rio (Good Girls), Ruby Hill/Stan Hill
Comments: 50
Kudos: 319





	1. a call in the middle of the night

The call woke her up from a restless sleep but as soon as she heard her partner’s voice on the other side of her cellphone, Beth got up and dressed up faster than she ever did in her life.  
Thank god the kids were with Dean that night, or she'd have lost very precious moments going to her daughters’ rooms to know if Jane and Emma were safe in their beds before checking the alarm system and finally leaving her home.

She drove to the place Turner told her over the phone, a warehouse located in the middle nowhere close to the town’s border. When she got there, the scene in front of her looked like one straight up from a movie.

The blue and red lights illuminated her path towards the warehouse built a few feet away from the main road surrounded only by trees and high grass. There were so many patrol cars she didn’t stop to count, police officers talking in low voices, others screaming directions and orders. She also could recognize Turner’s car and others from her FBI’s colleagues. The infamous black and yellow tape all around the warehouse that made the place look more like a gruesome paper wrapped gift. The atmosphere around the place felt heavy and gloomy.

Beth kept holding her badge up, showing it to the officers until she got inside.

The first thing she did was cover up her nose in a poor attempt to lessen the strong smell of blood.

_So much blood. Oh my God._

It was everywhere. On the walls, floors, small splatters of it on the ceiling even. It was like she stepped right into one of those 80’s horror B movies she usually watches with her sister Annie every Halloween night. The bodies of eight unrecognizable men laid dismembered on the floor, arms, legs, feet. She only could say there were eight dead men on the floor because of the heads, thrown away carelessly in different places across the dirty red floor.

The _wet_ red floor.

In the past eleven years working as an FBI agent, she’d seen some pretty fucked up things but the scene right before her now took the cake. In the middle of all that horrible mess, writing something down on his phone, was her partner, James “Jim” Turner.

He looked calmed and composed as always. She could count on her hands the number of times Turner lost his temper but his husband and soulmate Anton was probably the reason for his well-known control.

_Oh, I wished I had the luck. Maybe I wouldn’t stress myself with every petty thing Dean does to make me lose my peace of mind._

But, alas, these things were complicated and not everyone was lucky to find their other half. Also, having one was not a guarantee of bliss and happiness for the rest of your life. She’s seen some cases on the news about couples whose connection wasn’t strong enough to keep the pair together for life.

It was more than destiny, which was such a controversial concept, but from what she’d read before when she used to be a teenager, desperate for love and validation, it also involved body chemistry and things like hormones’ synchronization and whatnot.

She was never good with biology anyway.

Turner looked up, probably alerted by her presence from the noise her boots made on the wet, hard, concrete floor. He looked edgy but no wonder, with the shit show they had going on around them. However, something in his eyes made her whole body taut with worry.

Something wasn’t right. Well, it was obvious but it felt personal, the way his stance changed as if he was getting ready for a battle or something. That screamed “PROBLEM AHEAD” for her.

-“Hey, Turner. Not a good night for these guys, hmn? Looks like the whole team is here helping the cops looking for clues? Anything yet?”

She gave the customary pat on his shoulder and he held her hand briefly but it felt wrong somehow.

-“Beth. These guys are from the Canadians’ drug cartel. And before you ask me how I know, one of the cops recognized one of the men. Apparently, they were being seen around downtown for the last two weeks.”

-“Yeah, I know. Stan told me about it. He said his boss was in contact with Sanders and keeping him informed. But how the hell did they end up like that? It's cruel like, on a psychopathic level.”

Stan was the husband/ soulmate of her childhood best friend Ruby and because he was also a cop, a great one, he usually worked together on the operations the FBI once in a while conducted alongside the police. Beth didn’t doubt that in a few years he’d become chief of the police.

Turner hummed looking far too tense still. She could feel he was trying to act normal, aloof in the middle of the blood bath they both stood, but Beth knew the guy too well to be fooled.

-“We don’t know. The forensic team is getting ready to go all over the place. The police worked well isolating all the areas. Thank god this warehouse is far away from the city.I can’t even imagine the horror show it could become if the media arrived before us.”

-“That’s true, it would’ve been a nightmare. Then why do you look like there is a bomb ticking somewhere around here? You look tense.”

Then, it finally occurred to her and she felt a bit stupid for not asking it first.

The most important question she should have asked before any others. Well, she could blame it on all the blood around her, painting everything red.

-“Who owns this warehouse, Turner?”

Beth put a strand of strawberry blond hair behind her ear in a nervous tick, crossing her arms in a protective manner, as if she could protect herself from the reaction his words would cause her.

He looked straight into her eyes.

-“Christopher Rio Hernández”

Well, she couldn’t help but feet like her eyes would pop out of her skull. That man. Always that man, wasn’t it?

-“Oh my God. You’re kidding me. I was not expecting that. Rio? As in, the sneaky entrepreneur who always manages to escape prison for whatever reason? The one we and the IRS are investigating, always trying to get our hands on him but every time he walks free, posing like he's a victim? ”

Beth wasn’t working on his case, but she knew who Christopher Rio Hernández was. She worked on operations regarding international drug dealers but everyone in the FBI building talked with each other on occasions. Nevertheless, that man was famous around the whole city. Rio Hernández, a man who fought his way up from a life of poverty to a privileged, rich one. A prodigy, some say, in the business world, but known for his charity in poor neighborhoods around the city.

His mother was Mexican and his father was born and raised in Michigan. Both of them had died in a car accident. He had a son and an ex-wife and was followed around by his goons/bodyguards.

The man also had a fortune that grew far too fast for the authorities to not take notice. Not to mention a connection with the criminal world, according to some agents she'd talked to. Stan was sure the man was not the saint some believed him to be, from whispers he got on the streets he patrolled, and from some guys he'd arrested.

However, Rio also had the best lawyer money could buy. Gretchen Zorada was famous in the law world. Words of Turner’s husband who was also a lawyer.

The woman never lost a case and the proof was that Rio was a free man still.

Beth loathed those kinds of men who thought money and power were above the life of others, power-hungry and worse, liars.

She hated liars the most. Well, her husband was a pretty good example of how terrible liars were. Dean almost destroyed her with his.

Turner’s voice brought her to the present, though.

-“Yes, him. But we only found out because his name was written in blood on one of the walls of the warehouse.”

She looked around the place but she couldn’t see it. Unless…

-“Outside? Fuck.”

-“Yes. We already called him. They’re bringing the man to the Glass box. Beth…”

That was when Beth finally understood why he was looking at her like that. She took a deep breath, feeling like someone had pulled a rug under her feet. She moved, trying to balance the weight of her body as if her boots couldn’t keep her standing.

-“Oh no, no, no, no. I already have enough problems in my hands, Turner. Drug cartels are enough for me. They can’t drag me into this too.” She wanted to actually scream at him but not wanting to drag attention to them, she whispered with an anger she hadn't felt in years, her hands balled into tight fists.

She was thinking about moving to a desk job again because her actual one was risky enough and working against drug cartels was dangerous. She needed to think about her kids. Dean still let slip sometimes that her work was too risky for the girls. He didn’t trust her to protect them and he usually uses her job to try and make her fear for the worst: lose them to him.

Turner looked guilty at least, but he just held her by the shoulders while he towered over her, - she didn’t even notice how close she was to him - as if he wanted to hide her from the people walking around the place or maybe her reaction to what he’d say next.

Something was so not right. She could feel it in her bones and it gave her chills.

His next words felt like punches on her weak stomach.

-“Elizabeth, I’m really sorry. This was not an order from above. They tried to talk to him but the guy didn’t change his mind. He said he wouldn’t talk to anyone but _you_.”

-“Shit.”


	2. You're my kill of the night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> no summary. Chapter long enough. LOL

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- I forgot to mention that the italics are used when Beth is thinking something or to give an emphasis on any words she or anybody speaks.
> 
> Have fun.

The sound of the alarms around her was ear-splitting. She’d never been in a situation where all of a sudden the whole building was put on lockdown and the alarms were activated. However, like people used to say, there was always a first time for everything. Also, who was she kidding? 

A suspect was trying to escape the building with an FBI agent as a hostage. Well, that was what she assumed everyone was thinking.

The red lights above her made everything feel even more like she was in a dream. Her feet hit the floor fast enough to make her breathe labored, her legs hurting, the adrenaline high enough to make her feel like she might faint as soon as she stopped running. The frantic beats of her poor heart were pumping all those sensations deep in her veins as if to remind her that it wasn’t the fact that she was running like the devil was on her heels that caused all that.

_No._

_He_ was the cause. The sole motive that Elizabeth Marks had woken up to a normal day, went to work, called her daughters, her sister, then she had lunch with her best friend and went back to work again. She thought a good nice sleep would make the night pass faster so she could see her girls on the next day, but.

Yeah, in life there was always a “but” to everything. Every situation. Something that happened and changed the course of someone’s life, sometimes forever.

In her case, _Rio_ was responsible for the most important change in her life.

Her soulmate. Dear God, her fucking _soulmate_.

His big, hot hand was holding her wrist, pushing her forward, not letting her stop, bringing her with him to wherever he thought they should go in the middle of the night. 

_He was crazy._

-“You _can’t_ do that. It’ll only make things _worse_. Are you listening to me? It’s almost impossible to leave this building while it’s on lockdown.” She was trying to reason with the devil. She should know better.

He only laughed. The sound of it making her tremble and want to hear _more._

_Damn._

_-“_ Oh, sweetheart, I like challenges.” His smile was cynical but his dark eyes were full of mirth. He was having _fun_ with all the chaos around them. The chaos that _he_ created.

Then, to her surprise, the enormous, heavy metal door of the garage opened - _oh, god, they were there already?_ \- and a sleek black sedan appeared suddenly, stopping right in front of it. The noise of the tires scratching on the rough floor under it finally got her out of that strange stupor her mind was in.

He got her inside the car and took her away.

  
  


\-----------

  
  


_3 hours before_

They drove together to the FBI’s Michigan field office in Turner’s car. Beth was in such an anxious state that he didn’t want her to drive the whole way to where Mr.Hernández was being held, alone. His words, not hers but she agreed because, yeah, she didn’t feel like driving after the bomb he’d dropped on her. One of her colleagues would drive her car back to her home, so she accepted.

Most of the 45 minutes of the drive happened in silence. Her thoughts were a mess inside her head and the questions kept coming. Why did he ask for her, specifically? How did he know her? What he wanted to talk to her about? _Why_ did he want to talk to her?

_“I don’t know this guy, Turner. I never talked to him before, or ever. I never saw him in my entire life, I swear. I don’t know how the hell he knows my name.”_ \- Her voice was so soft and low it almost made her believe she wasn’t freaking out inside.

He held her hand, a slight pressure of his in her cold left one that kept holding the other in a nervous gesture. It was cold outside, the temperature dropping to 51.8°F and her black wool sweater and Jeans felt like they were made of cheap cotton. Probably it was her body’s response to the fear of being accused of being in cahoots with a man the FBI judged a dangerous criminal. There was nothing to connect her to him but her mind wasn’t being rational, not after she saw all that blood and the name of _that_ man painted on the concrete wall of the warehouse.

“ _Beth, I know. Everyone knows this. You’ve been with us for more than 10 years now. Don’t be absurd. And really, the guy knowing your name is probably because you may act humble when it comes to your work, but you know you’re goddamn good at what you do. He probably knows some of the people you interrogated. I wouldn’t be surprised.”_

That was one of the reasons Turner and her got along so well, since the beginning of their partnership. She could always count on him to keep her head on track and he could always count on her to get his thick head out of his ass sometimes. That and the mutual respect they had for each other. It helped a little with the nervous breakdown she was so close to having.

_“Thank you, Jim.”_

Even so, when they arrived at their destination, Beth was a pile of nerves, hands getting sweaty and her heartbeats went crazy inside her ribcage. She didn’t know why she was reacting like that. Christopher, or better, Rio Hernández might be a sneaky criminal, dangerous even, but she was used to dealing with worse men in her profession daily. 

Ruthless, violent men. Sometimes, psychopathic ones.

Like Ruby once said, she’d looked straight into the devil's eyes so many times that she could call herself a badass already for always leaving unscathed.

_Just breathe in and out slowly, Beth. Don’t let them see it. Don’t let_ **_him_ ** _see it._

That was what she kept telling herself as Turner and she got inside the building and went to talk with their superior.

Harold Cooper was the Special Agent in charge of the FBI’s office in Michigan and he dealt with all the operations in the State. Although Detroit was responsible for 90% of the work they all did there. He was a good, honorable man, really successful in his work. Beth respected him and loved the man. He was like the father she always dreamed of having since her biological one left the family when she was 11. She never forgot how her poor mother wasted her life away in alcohol and anger.

However, he was probably the person who asked Jim to bring her in and, she couldn’t believe, do what a criminal asked of him.

They walked in silence to Harold’s office, located on the fifth and last floor, the sounds of her black boots the only noise heard. The place was quiet, just a few agents working alone on their desks, reading, or writing reports on their computers. She looked at her watch: 1:05 am. Turner was the one to knock on Harold’s door and together they entered the place. There was another Agent with him.

_Boomer. Uhg._

She hated the man. Always making terrible, sexist jokes. He was hated by ninety-nine percent of the female agents and the male ones with enough good sense in their heads. 

Sexism was still strong in places like the FBI, sadly.

Both men were bending over a document Harold was holding in his hands, but they looked up when Beth and Turner got inside.

-“Hello, Agent Marks, Agent Turner. I’m sorry for the hour and for making you come all the way here when you were already off work for the week, Agent Marks, but from what I could get from some Agents in that warehouse, this case needs our immediate attention and I need the best Agents on this one.”

-“ You don’t need to apologize, sir, working for the FBI is knowing that there is no time to rest when you fight for justice. But what I don’t understand is the fact that I was summoned here by a man I’ve never seen in my life and that I never crossed paths with.” She wanted to say more but Boomer was in the room, and she couldn’t help but reaffirm again that she didn’t know Mr. Hernández. The last thing she needed was for the idiot to start any gossip on the matter.

He didn’t react to what she said at least, but maybe Turner was right. It might be something inside her head prompting her to think crazy things. Her boss was the one who reacted with a look of surprise on his face, eyebrows up.

-“I know this, Agent Marks, and rest assured, no one would think otherwise. I trust you enough. Besides, believe me, I was surprised as well by his request. He was brought by Agent Boomer and Stanford. They got him in the Glass box but he said he’d only talk to you. Am I not right, Agent Boomer?”

He put the document he was holding down on the table in front of him and spoke to her, posture totally professional, probably because Cooper was in the room. He usually acted as if he was bored when talking to her like he felt giving her any kind of attention was a loss of his precious time.

-“Yes, Agent Marks. He was quite insistent that he would only talk to you. We said the FBI didn’t take orders from criminals but the guy didn’t even move. We asked him _why_ , but he didn’t say a thing. Stanford said it was his m.o. The bastard likes to act all mysterious and superior. If I were you, I’d be very careful down there. He probably has a plan.”

_oh...It looked like Mr. Martinez had hit a nerve._

The way Boomer pressed his lips as if trying to hold any more offensive words and his tight fists were signs enough that he hated being how Mr. Hernández had treated him.

She was just starting to tell him she didn’t need any advice, that she could take care of herself when Cooper interrupted her.

-“Agent Marks, I know you’re entirely capable of handling Mr. Hernández. I just want to talk to you first before you go down there. Gentlemen, could you give us a moment, please?”

Boomer looked a bit surprised by the request, but Turner, who had been just observing everyone in the room, was fast enough to open the door and look back at Boomer, waiting for the man to follow him.

When the two left, she turned to Cooper. The careful mask she’d put on when she entered the place was completely gone. There was just a sort of desperation and the strange, inexplicable sensation of a tug in her belly that made her feel like something was calling to her, making her want to run, just run and find something, a place that would give her peace, would bring her self-control back.

Since that morning Beth was feeling restless, on alert, like something was amiss. After Turner’s call, her adrenaline just spiked higher and she’d given up on sleep, getting back to work.

Annie was always telling her to trust her instincts a bit more. Something inside her was screaming at her to just go with the flow. She was already there, right? But another part of her was telling her to just leave, run away. She couldn’t handle it.

_Oh, no but I can. Can’t I?_

She didn’t know anymore. And those mixed up feelings were fucking up her mind. It was the first time that she felt like she couldn’t trust herself.

-“Cooper, before you say anything, just promise me that whatever happens, whatever the reason that guy had to ask for me, you’ll get my back down there and give me free rein to do as I please. That man is messing with us by making such a request and I need to have as many weapons as I can at my disposal.”

-“Elizabeth, you know I trust you, right? Of course, I’ll give you support, you don’t need to ask that of me. I would never put any of my Agents in any kind of impossible situation. However, you know we have limits here right?”- His warm voice was kind and cool enough that helped her relax a little bit. His hands were holding hers with such care that she even managed a smile.

-“Yeah, I know.”

  
  


-“You’ll have free rein but try to not push it. And about what I wanted to talk to you...I wanna you to be careful down there, ok? You’ll go down there alone. Don’t let him get into your head, he is known for his soft words and carefree demeanor but the guy just needs a breach into your defenses to get your walls down in seconds. He is a manipulator. We don’t know what he did and why those men were slaughtered like animals but it was a message for him and it might be our first real chance to bring Christopher Rio Hernández down. The cameras will record everything and if anything happens, just give us your customary signal, ok?”

-“ Yeah, I got it. You’re sending me down there to see if we can finally break him. Play his little game since he asked for me. You’re giving him what he wants to make him feel like he won the first round of the game. Right?”

She was surprised at how _normal_ her voice sounded. Not a trace of the storm raging on inside her.

Professional Beth at her best.

Cooper seemed to approve of her behavior even if it was probably the biggest case she would be part of since LaGuardia's case. He let go of her hands and gave her an assuring smile.

  
  


-“Yes. You read my mind, Beth. That is why I have faith in you.” She smiled back but it felt false.

-“ I’ll try but I also might be the one cut into tiny pieces. If this happens, just know I’ll never let you have a peaceful sleep in your life. Ever.”

The sound of his laugh followed her as they stepped out of his office, towards the elevator.

She stopped on the first floor where the office she shared with Turner was, to put on her “armor”. That meant that she needed to get herself ready. Her sister Annie always told that a woman’s armor was made of make-up well done, great clothes, and killer shoes. Sadly for her, all she had there was a comb, lipstick, foundation, and powder. She made it quick, applying the make-up fast but with enough care to not look like a ghost as her face was white enough - from worry mostly-. She had left the house in such a hurry that she didn’t have time to put anything on her face. 

The lipstick was a deep red, like old blood. She thought of not putting it on because she didn’t want to send a wrong message to that man, but whatever, he was thinking he was special already. After applying the lipstick, she combed her hair, the shoulders-length, strawberry locks pushed back in quick, efficient movements, her bangs rearranged slightly to the left. There was nothing she could do with her black jeans and sweater, but she pushed the long neck sweater down a bit, smoothing the fabric.

Thank god she kept a pair of black pumps in there, so she could take the bloody pair of boots off. Before leaving, she decided to get the small Glock Turner always kept in one of his drawers and got it behind her back, under her sweater. She always felt safer with one, because she’d learned a long time ago that it didn’t hurt to always be ready for the worst. 

Feeling like she couldn’t stop the inevitable, she straightened her shoulders and walked back to the elevator.

_It was time to face the music._

\-------

The Glass box was located in the building’s basement. There, the people considered a threat or a valuable witness to very important cases were brought for interrogation. As its name indicated, the Glass box was a cage built in the middle of the basement, with walls made entirely of glass, only bulletproof. The place was at the size of her kitchen at home, with enough space for a table with four metallic chairs around it, a monitor up at the ceiling, and four cameras, each one placed at the four corners of the place.

Nevertheless, the first thing she noticed when she got out of the elevator and walked the short distance between the small hall and the stairs that lead to the Glass box, was that Mr. Hernández was sitting on a metallic chair placed in the middle of it, handcuffed, with just another chair right before him as a company.

He had his eyes closed as if asleep, his body leaned on the back of the chair languorously, his long legs crossed in front of his body, hands resting on the chair’s arms.

The picture of a man without a care in the world.

She walked down the stairs, her heels breaking the silence, and with each step she took closer to him, that tug sensation she felt earlier got stronger.

The small hairs on her arms rising, her heartbeats beating more erratically with the distance shortening between them. That was when it finally hit her. Every feeling she’d felt after she woke up that morning. The restlessness, the anxiety, the fear, the anticipation… All those feelings were signs that she would meet her soulmate today.

_I’m so stupid_.

It was such an inexact thing, when it would happen, or how. The only thing the scientists were certain was that time didn’t matter. You could meet your soulmate at 5 years old or at 50. That was the reason some people ended up going on with their lives, married others who weren’t their chosen one. There was no guarantee that you would meet yours and after centuries, soulmates were still a mystery. Sixty percent of the earth's population ended up dying without ever meeting the person that, according to science, would become your only and last lover, the person that would help you achieve whatever you desired.

Soulmates were supposed to bring the best in their other half.

In fact, eighty percent of the soulmate couples were well-adjusted people in life. Successful people, so attuned to each other’s feelings that they couldn’t help but communicate with each other better than other regular couples.

  
  


Of course, there were exceptions but the ones who kept together until the end usually lived a better life than most. Ruby was always talking about how hard it was for her to hide anything from Stan, how they sometimes argued, like every couple, but at the end of the day, they always found some common ground and actually listened to each other...But to have that with a man like _Rio_...

_Shit, no, no, no. It can’t be. He can’t be… Not now. Not now. Not him. Is he feeling it too? Oh my god, no. This is a disaster. I can’t let them know. Shit, what will he do?_

She gripped the handrail tighter while she kept walking down, eyes now fixed on the floor below her, trying to keep breathing, until his voice reached her ears, smokey and soft-spoken, like a caress on her skin.

-“Agent Marks, what a pleasure.”

She looked up, finally at the bottom of the stairs, and stared at the man in front of her.

Christopher Rio Hernández was staring right back, his face devoid of any emotion what, frankly, she found it impressive. With the distance closed between them, she could actually _feel_ how surprised and conflicted he was, despite not being able to find any trace of those feelings on his face.

_And I haven’t even touched him yet. What did that little fact tell about them?_

Oh, but his dark eyes were another story. They were fixated on her, observing every inch of her face with a piercing look that it made a deep chill race up her spine.

They were framed by such ridiculous long eyelashes, throwing shadows on his high cheekbones, which made his whole face look even more alluring. 

She hated it. 

Objectively, looking at him on tv and some pictures she’s seen in newspapers, she always thought he was a handsome guy, but in person, he looked even more attractive.

There was a subtle grace in the way he moved, sitting up straighter on the chair, slowly, first uncrossing his legs while rolling his head in a small circle, and finally moving his hands to his knees. The smirk on his full lips was an open challenge to her. " _Come closer, let's see for how long we both can pretend we're not_ **_it_ **."

She didn't know if she found that smirk endearing or just infuriating. Beth decided to not let him get under her skin just yet. Walking to the door and pushing the code to open it, Beth kept her head up, fixing her eyes in a point above his head. The slight buzz informed her the door was open, so she took a deep breath and got inside.

It felt like getting into a lion's den. Any sudden movements or a step in the wrong place and she'd wake up the beast and be devoured by it.

_"But you know he won't hurt you. No, he would devour you in another way. In a much more pleasurable way_."

Fuck her head. She wanted to hit herself.

She fixed her eyes on him instead, knowing that if she didn't, he would think that she was afraid. He watched her every move with avid attention, from the moment she sat to the way she crossed one leg over the other and put her hands on the arms of her chair, mirroring his posture. 

  
  


-" Mr. Hernández, I am glad you think so. Most people I meet here hate me almost instantly. Certainly, none of them ever asked to be interrogated by me only. To what do I owe the pleasure of you being the first?"

He smiled at her and she realized that wasn’t a very good choice of words. Combined with the fact that he still oozed confidence even handcuffed, the entire situation made her instincts stay on full alert.

-“You cut your hair. I like it. I know it was… What? A year ago? Time flies, hmn? Still, I hope you’ll accept my compliment.” - the tone in his voice was smooth and a bit low, giving away a sense of intimacy between them that wasn’t true. And yet, once more Beth tried to get away from his little web.

  
  


-“Tell me about the men killed tonight in one of your warehouses.” - it was all a game _._ The bastard was playing with her but if that was how he chose to deal with the situation, she would show him that she was a skilled opponent.

"-I haven’t been there in years. I was actually just enjoying a night with my kid at home when I got a visit from the FBI. I don’t think you’ll agree with me but I’m actually a victim rather than a suspect. It wouldn’t look good for the FBI to make the terrible mistake of taking an innocent man into custody, right?”

Oh, the card he played was a very old one. She felt almost disappointed but they were just beginning. Maybe if she used her sweet, patronizing mommy voice, he’d react a bit more as she expected of him.

-“Oh, not at all, Mr. Hernández. We do everything we can to treat everyone as any American citizen deserves, respecting their rights. However, I think you’ll agree with me that with your professional background, men like you put yourselves at risk with some businesses’ choices that aren’t _exactly_ legal. Rest assured, you’re here because it was your name written in the blood of men involved with an international drug cartel, in the dirty wall of a warehouse in the middle of nothing. You’re here for your own protection. You didn’t have anything to do with that, did you?”

The smile left, but in its’ place, the same empty expression was back. He didn’t give anything away and she tried to feel anything coming from him but it felt like he was holding his emotions back. 

_How the hell does he do that?_

  
  


-“No. Whatever happened there, it was obviously just a pathetic call for attention. Men get greedy, don’t they? I don’t know who did that but I don’t care if they died. Not my loss.”

-“You say you don’t know who did that but you didn’t even ask who they were.”

And that was the moment when he finally moved, inclining his upper body closer towards hers, hands crossing over his middle, the tip of his tongue wetting his bottom lip while she tried not to move under his piercing gaze.

The image of a butterfly pinned on a wall came to her mind.

-“And why is that? You finally asked the most important question, Agent Marks. Surprise me, darling.” _Make me proud._ The words were there, left unsaid. It didn’t mean she didn’t hear them.

They shouldn’t make her feel like she wanted to do exactly that. She shouldn’t feel that unexpected thrill to do as he asked. Yet, she couldn’t help herself.

She looked right back at him, analyzing the man that fate sent in the worst possible way to her life, and gave the answer she hoped was right:

-“Because you actually know who they are but… You don’t know who they were working for, right? Drug cartels have their alliances, they may not be the most fateful to their _business partners_ , let’s call them that, but they work for money, for who pays more and offers more advantages to a possible partnership. You may have ties with some of them, but that actually doesn’t mean you’re stupid enough to work with the greedy ones.”

He didn’t smile this time, but the look on his face shook her to her core.

It was a combination of pride and desire so fierce that she blushed, a warm feeling inside her making everything else around fade, except for _him_.

  
  


-“That’s my girl”. The deeper low rumble of his voice made her cross her legs tighter.

-“I’m not yours.” It was a childish response, but she only got an arched brown as a reaction.

-“Stubborn and beautiful... I’d like you to take off my handcuffs. I’m willing to work with the FBI but I can’t do it if I’m being treated so poorly don’t you think? After all, It was my name written in blood.”

She didn’t comment on his compliments to not give that man more ammunition. She considered his request instead. The place was one of the most guarded and safest in Detroit. Boomer and another agent were observing from the hall upstairs, there were cameras all around, and most important was the fact that he was her soulmate.

_And we haven't even touched yet._

She wouldn’t let him do it. Not while they were there, if ever.

-“Wait here.”

\- “Yes, Ma’am.”

She left the place and walked back to her colleagues. Boomer was frowning while the other agent remained mildly amused.

-“Please, I need you to give me the keys, Boomer.”

-“If he makes any sudden moves, I’m shooting the bastard”. He said, giving her the keys and looking behind her to where their suspect/witness was.

-“Ok, just don’t kill him.” She had worked with Boomer long enough to not even hear what the guy said most of the time, or care.

When she got back to the Glass box, he was watching her with the same focused attention, his dark eyes not giving anything away. Then, she held the key in her hand and was in front of him without any barriers between them.

The tug sensation came back so strong and so sudden that she gasped and Christopher _Rio_ Hernández finally let his mask of control and indifference slip.

His hands were curled in tight fists like he was trying to hold himself up against the desire to touch her. The expression on his face was more difficult to describe, though. It looked like he was in pain, his brows were knitted in what seemed like worry and he was biting his lower lip this time. His entire face was tense with something she couldn’t name.

-“Don’t touch me.” She said almost in a whisper, but he listened if the way he tried to control his emotions again could be considered a sign.

  
  


They were being heard by the tiny microphones installed around the place, she knew, but it wasn’t like they would ever find out what she meant by that.

She bowed a bit towards him, as he was still sitting, focusing on the small opening on the handcuffs, and she listened to the soft click, pushing them out of his wrists with a tug by the small chain connecting the two.

When she was straightening up again, she felt both of his hands touch her. Long, warm fingers circled her wrists, pushing her body to his. He got up so fast she didn’t even see it coming. 

He moved like a predator. Fast and efficient in his intent.

But nothing else mattered anymore. Not when her entire body felt like it was coming alive for the first time, an acute sense of rightness and pleasure running in her veins. It felt like opening her eyes for the first time as well, the colors around more vivid, the smell of his woodsy cologne around her, strong and tempting, the skin of his hands a bit rough but perfect against her soft one.

The black of his eyes never looked more fascinating and mysterious to her. 

_So that was how it felt to have a soulmate_ . _Fucking hell, how can anyone resist this? Why did I think I could?_

Even so, the moment ended as he flipped her around in a quick move, kipping an arm around her waist while his other hand held both her wrists. She felt his hot breath on her neck as he whispered in her ear:

  
  


-“You’re _mine_ ”. 

-“Don’t do this”.

-“But, sweetheart, you’re the one carrying a gun”. Beth felt him push her Glock away from her body, the arm around her waist holding her tighter so his hand could reach the gun placed on her left side behind her back. The safe was not on. 

_Terrible mistake, Beth._ _And to make things better it sounds like he’s enjoying this._

He kept holding her tightly, the gun now pointed at her head.

She saw Boomer and his partner run down the stairs, guns in hand but Rio was faster. They were already at the glass door and Beth was still under the effect of their connection to have an actual reaction to everything happening around her.

-“Get the gun down and step away from her, or I swear, I’m gonna shoot you, Mr. Hernández. Don’t be stupid because there is no way out of this place”.

Beth tried to not roll her eyes at Boomer’s stupid approach to the situation. Trust on him to make things worse. Calling the guy pointing a gun to her head an idiot wouldn’t make him change his mind.

-“Don’t Boomer. Please”. She said. Beth didn’t want a shooting contest to start in there because of his stupidity. 

  
  


His partner was happier in his words’ choice. 

  
  


-“Please, Mr. Hernández, don’t make things harder on yourself. You can get a good deal here. You aren’t here as a suspect, remember? Your lawyer is on her way already. Our boss informed us while you were talking with agent Marks.”

That actually made Rio laugh.

-“Yeah, I know. But we are all clever men and women here. I don’t think I can trust you guys yet, but thank you for the offer. I guess I’ll take agent Marks here with me, just so I can have someone to point me out the door, and I can leave.”

He started to move around with her to the stairs, all the while keeping the gun pointed at her head. Boomer and the other Agent kept their guns raised, watching them go.

Once in the hall, they run. Moments later, the alarms sounded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow, sorry for the long chapter. It was 14 pages long but I had sooo much fun writing it that it didn't matter in the end. Also, I didn't want to break it in two parts bc I felt like something wouldn't feel right...  
> I hope you guys had fun as well while reading it. xD  
> I don't know when the next chapter will be ready but don't worry, I'm quite excited about the ideas I have for this fic, so I don't think it will take longer than this chapter did.  
> Thank you again for all kudos, subscriptions, bookmarks, or comments you guys leave.  
> Take care!  
> <3 u!


	3. Twisted Tales

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so, this is a shorter chapter but with some important info about why Rio decided to talk to Beth. Also, a few more hints about how this soulmate thing will work in this fic. Some answers will be given in the next chapters - probably the ones you guys are still asking yourselves- but bear with me here, bc it won't be fun if I spill all the secrets in one chapter, right? ;)
> 
> Things get even more complicated for Beth but make no mistakes: this doesn't mean it will be an easier ride for Rio because of it. I dare say they'll get worse for him.  
> Ok, enough talk, enjoy the chapter, thank you for all the kudos, comments, bookmarks, and subscriptions!Love you, guys!

First, there was only the sound of their heavy breaths echoing inside the car. It was still dark outside, the street lights illuminating their way out of the FBI’s building. She stared at their reflection on the car’s window, their hypnotizing effect helping her to calm down a little bit. One of her hands curled in her lap while the other touched the cold glass separating her from the outside world.

  
  


It felt like she was still in one of those dreams you have where nothing makes sense and in the morning, you wonder how the hell your brain could come up with such nonsense while you were asleep. Everything sounded like she was underwater, the pop song coming out of the car’ stereo in a low volume, the murmurs of the two men sitting in the front, the Sedan's engine low rumble sounding like a soft lullaby.

The only thing currently anchoring Elizabeth Marks to reality is the man sitting beside her. The feelings he’d woken up when they first met still playing havoc on her whole body. His feelings and hers, running through her system in such synchrony that she couldn’t tell them apart. Maybe because both had quite a surprise that night and so, they were in the same boat.

A boat adrift in the middle of an ocean of uncertainty and doubt was more like it.

It didn’t matter in the end. They were tied together by a mysterious and stronger force that decided they were both _it_ for each other and, yeah, maybe things wouldn’t end up in a good way but from what she’d seen, it wouldn’t do any good to bet against fate. Fear, amazement, worry, surprise, and desire were all tangled in a cocktail of feelings that confused Beth and made her doubt her ability to think clearly for the time being. 

Of all the feelings, the desire was the one responsible for making her super aware of how close they really were. She could feel _his_ body’s heat through the small distance between them as the car wasn’t that big. Looking at _him_ , Beth felt an odd tug in her chest. _Rio_ had one of his arms thrown over his face, covering his eyes from the world around him, and in his left hand, his fingers clenched sporadically around her Glock, his chest falling and rising a bit too fast still. 

He hadn’t said a word since they got there, his men just kept driving in silence, what made her think that he probably had planned to escape at some point. Maybe he wanted them around while he was being held there, for protection, but how the hell would they know the right time to come to their boss’s rescue? 

She wanted to scream, throw a fit. She wanted to tell him to stop the damn car and let her leave and forget they had ever met in this life, maybe also in another, if possible.

Above all else, Elizabeth Marks wanted to kiss those smart, full lips and mark that golden brown skin with her nails, her own lips, and teeth. The dark eagle tattooed on his throat was calling to her in a way that she actually felt like moaning. In fact, she had to bite her lips to not let any sound leave her mouth. She needed to say something, make him talk. 

_I can’t let him use this in any way to try and turn things to his advantage. I can’t trust him. Not yet. Or ever._

“You shouldn’t have done that but since there is no going back, just listen to me. We can talk wherever you want, but you need to let me handle this. If you don’t, things _could_ get really messy for you.”

He removed his arm away from his face and turned his body to face her. She noticed that he kept holding her Glock, pointing it at her instead, without actually raising the gun. A smirk making those full lips move slowly, and in his eyes a mischievous glint took place.

“Oh yeah? This a promise or nah?”

The low rumble of his voice made that desire burn a bit brighter inside her. His smirk getting a bit wider as the smug bastard was probably feeling _that._

She frowned at him. That would definitely make things worse if she didn’t learn how to dial it down soon.

_Annoyance and desire were a strange combination but I guess it will become quite the norm around him._

“Is everything a game to you? A joke? Let me get out of here. They probably think you kidnapped me! Can’t you understand the mess you got us both in?”

“Oh, no, sweetheart. Don’ put that responsibility on me. You and I? We're gonna have a long talk but far away from your colleagues or anyone’s else ears. It was jus’ a question of time for the FBI to _invite_ me to a little talk but now things have changed. Don’ worry, yeah? Jus’ be a good girl and soon you’ll be home. On my terms, of course. For now, jus’ keep your mouth shut. For both our sakes, hmm?”

It was impressive that he didn’t even change the tone of his voice but his posture lost that laidback vibe it had before. His expression completely closed off, jaw tense, and in his eyes a warning: _Don’t talk or you could let our little secret out. It’s not safe. Wait. Not here._

And even if he was a jerk while saying all that to her, she didn’t feel anger. The air was charged with a mix of anticipation and dread that made her keep her mouth shut for the time being.

She heard him tell his guys to avoid the common roads and use other routes to get to the “loft”, wherever that was and the one driving - a bald, large guy with a tattoo on his skull - told him they were already moving faster and avoiding the usual streets. It was approximately 35 minutes with no traffic at almost 3:30 am.

They got to an apartment in a quiet, family-friendly neighborhood in the city. Beth could see it was an old building but it was more because of the architecture. She was an amateur when it came to it, but the big glass windows and the dark, old fashioned tiles framing them screamed “outdated style” to her.

They got into the garage and Rio put her Glock on the back of his jeans and covered it with his shirt. Then, he opened the door and in a surprising act of chivalry, extended his hand to help her leave the car.

For a minute there, she thought of opening the door on her side and running but Rio was very perceptive because as soon as the thought crossed her mind, he was already destroying her hopes of any chance of escaping that place unscathed.

“Don’t even think about it. I would drag you back here, kicking and screaming if necessary, in a matter of seconds, darling.”

That was how she understood that him offering his hand was more like a way to not let her run away at the first chance she might get. It just took one look at him and she could see he was actually having fun at her expense again.

_The bastard._

She just got out on her own, chest out, and raised chin, while her eyes looked around the place, noticing that the garage was almost empty if it wasn’t for a BMW and a Tesla parked on two opposite sides of the place.

_What a strange thing._

The men stayed inside the car and she felt one of Rio’s hands close around her left arm while with the order he gestured to his guys to go.

“ Go for a patrol around the block then come back and wait here until I call you back. Keep your guns ready to shoot.”

With a murmured “yes, boss” the car left and he gave her a little push towards the elevator.

Beth tried to walk the small distance with his strong fingers holding her, the woodsy fragrance she could smell around him making her head a bit dizzy, and again the warmness of his body invaded her skin through the layers of clothes. 

When they got to the metal doors, the sense of impending doom fell over her. Once she got inside, there was no way of coming back to her old life. The push of his hand on her arm made her turn and face him. She still needed to make that man think about what they would deal with soon.

“It’s not too late, you know? We can think of something about all _this_ and, don’t forget, we still have someone out there wanting your blood.”

His eyes studied her face curiously as if he was trying to figure her out. Considering the myriad of things she was feeling at the moment, she didn’t blame him for trying, at least. When he opened his mouth and her mind registered his words, she lost all hope for a way out of that impossible situation.

“How arrogant of you to think that you can turn your back from all this now, sweetheart. This pretty head of yours is always thinking of an outcome to get what you want from others, yet this is completely different from what you ever experienced, I believe. Please, do us both a favor and just get in.” 

The soft _ding_ alerted her that the metal doors were opening. Breathing slowly through her nose, she tried to calm her heartbeats down while she did as he asked.

  
  


_He won't make this easy, right? Well, me neither._

  
If there was one thing the universe got it right, was to pair her up with someone as stubborn as her.  
  


\------

When the door to his apartment opened, the view that welcomed them was simply not what she’d expected.

From the woody floor - a clear, shiny brown color- to the clean, minimalist design of the decoration, not to mention the open concept of the place, almost made her mouth open in genuine surprise at how beautiful his home was. Well, what she supposed was one of his homes, or maybe his real one, who knows?

The furniture of the living room was stark black, in sleek, straight lines with smooth and shiny surfaces. A rich yellow carpet made an interesting contrast with the dark color surrounding it. The kitchen located in the right corner was also very sophisticated and with gray and white colors, in a variety of shades dominating the room.

Finally, the dining room caught her attention with the red tones of the table’s wood placed at the center and the chairs in a deep dark red of the fabric used to cover its seat. There was a small bar at the left corner of the room, and she could see her reflection in the rectangular glass hanging horizontally from the ceiling, in what she thought was a crazy, yet nice idea of an interior designer.

A dreamy sigh escaped from her mouth without her even noticing at the view before her but the sound of a key closing the door behind her brought her to reality.

“Do you like it?” Beth suppressed a shiver as his warm breath hit the sensitive skin of her neck and she felt the heat of his body really close to hers from behind. She turned back to face him. Standing so close and alone with the man for the first time, she noticed that he was taller than her, but not that much. She could still punch his face without having to dislocate her shoulder.

Or drag his head down for a kiss.

The woodsy scent assaulted her nostrils again and he was looking at her through such long dark lashes that she couldn’t stop wishing for hers to be like his. The tug came back again, wanting her closer, to touch and taste but she took a few steps backward, putting a small distance between them, crossing her arms in an unconscious attempt to protect herself.

He just kept watching her from his spot, amusement written all over his stupidly handsome face. 

“I’m not here to judge the work or your interior designer, Mr. Hernández. For all I know about you, this might not even be your real home. And I’m not here to do small talk. We have two really important things to talk about and I’d like to do it before the morning comes. I have two daughters to come back to tomorrow. Are you gonna answer my questions now or nah?”

Irony wasn't usually her style while questioning someone but he was really getting on her nerves with the way he was answering her questions without actually giving her a useful response. He didn't react to the obvious provocation, though.

“ Why do you think I brought you here? I wouldn’t do so with all those bastards just waiting for an opportunity to twist my words into some fucked up tale.”

“So, you brought me here to your territory instead, where you are comfortable enough to tell me your side of the story but what guarantees do I have that you won’t twist things around to benefit yourself?” 

He only snorted derisively at her question.

“The difference is that they’d have looked for any opportunity to make up a narrative using my own words, and that would get’em to achieve the FBI’s wettest dream of seeing me behind bars. Your guys are playing God, trying to punish me for sins that aren’t even mine.”

The way he said that caught her attention. She could see he was pissed, his hands were buried deep on the pockets of his dark jeans and she could see the tendons under the skin moving, tensing. 

Curiosity and a nagging sense of unease made her take one step closer to him, wishing she knew him well enough to be able to tell if he was lying or telling the truth.

“What do you mean? Why would they want to do that?”

“This is why I didn’t want to talk to you there. See, you told me I didn’t like to work with the likes of those guys but the thing is that I don’t deal with them at all. Drugs are not my thing. A kind of a really dumb risk to take if you ask me. But for some reason, someone in the FBI wanna link my name to that shitshow, apparently.” He said that staring at her without taking his eyes off of hers not once.

A tick on his jaw told her that something about what he just said was worrying him more than he was letting it show. Suddenly, the atmosphere in the room got heavy. 

His words didn’t make sense to her at all. He was saying that someone inside the FBI wanted him out of Detroit’s business scene. Aside from the obvious reasons a potential enemy of his could have to want that, framing that man with a crime he didn’t commit wasn't the smartest way to do it, in her opinion. Relying on other people to take someone down for you could end up badly. Human beings could not be trusted. People got greedy. It wasn’t that she didn’t know that there were dirty agents in every government agency, she wasn’t naïve.

However, it was hard for her to even think of a name between her many colleagues, and accuse them of treason. Besides, why did Rio make her think that he'd dealt with drug cartels before? It felt like she was spiraling into some crazy, dark rabbit hole. Starting to feel a bit dizzy, with all the questions running around her head, she licked her dry lips, one of her hands going through her strawberry hair, while her mind tried to make sense of his words.

She didn't even notice the way he followed the movement briefly with his eyes.

“Wait, _wait_. Are you really telling me that we could have a dirty agent inside the FBI working with someone else to frame you? For what? Why? What would they gain with that?”

That sardonic little smile came back on full force. Her muscles were painfully tight, her stomach lurching uncomfortably at the sight of it.

“You always see the world from a white and black perspective, agent Marks?” He asked her, with a sarcastic tone that made her angrier. 

“Of course not. I know that the world is not a fairytale. I know there are dirty agents in the government, in the police force, FBI, you name it, goddamnit. But I was never part of the investigation they have going about you, and I’ve been working in that place for so long that it’s hard for me to even think about what you’re telling me right now. I always thought I could trust the people I worked with, because they are good people. Or they were supposed to be. FBI agents should be the good guys, not the bad ones.”

He raised his brows at that, for the first time taking a step closer towards her. She stood her ground, waiting to see what he’d say next. His posture was combative still but the anger lessened by the way his words sounded almost normal, losing the sarcastic edge.

“Thinking of things in terms of bad or good is one way to see the world in white and black. You’re a smart woman, sweetheart, so I won’t insult you by saying everything I own was gained through clean, honest work but that doesn’t make me a villain. People cheat their way up in life to get what they want because the system doesn’t give them a choice most of the time. It’s rooted from the very beginning if you ask me. Not even the FBI fine agents are immune to some bribery for the right price. Sometimes isn’t even about money. Some people just keep wishing for more. ”

Frowning at his patronizing tone, she took another step closer to him without even noticing, too frustrated about how things got out of her control so fast since she met him, to care about something so inconsequential like distance.

  
  


“ Will you tell me what it involves, then? I’m not really in the mood to get into a philosophical debate with you about how the world is a fucked up place right now, Mr. Hernández. We’d stay here until morning, and I don’t know, maybe I’d surprise you but I have a life to get back at sunrise. So, just tell me, do you trust me enough to tell me what is really going on? Or this is, I don’t know, some really sick game of yours? What do you really want with all this? What do you really want of _me_?”

Beth could have screamed but there was just tiredness inside her at the moment, her body’s energy gone, all of a sudden. He wanted something, she knew, but he wasn’t giving her anything to work on. Beth knew there was a reason behind everything he’d done but he was choosing to not tell her all the details.

Looking up at his eyes, she was startled at how fast his whole face changed before her. It was really scary how his mood and whole demeanor altered with a breath of air. 

She once again found herself the sole focus of a piercing gaze, the sharp edges of his face smoothed by a soft, almost affectionate expression, as he tilted his head and closed the distance between them with two careful steps.

Beth held her breath for a moment as she watched him raise his right hand, the back of those long, elegant fingers touching her face for the first time, following the line of her jaw with reverence.

The soft skin there was warming under the delicate caress of that mysterious, dangerous man.

His fingers took hold of her chin next, thumb pressing It slightly, as he inclined her head back, strawberry locks falling behind her shoulders, his eyes never leaving hers.

“I want _you_ to trust _me_ . I want you to _listen to me_. I could tell you everything I know right now but if I do that, you won’t believe me. So, I’m gonna lead you to a labyrinth. All the answers you seek will be there. You'll just have to decide if you wanna enter it and find your way out, or not, Elizabeth.” 

He could have either murmured or screamed the words at her, she wouldn’t know, because it was the way his tongue rolled around the letters of her name, how he said it, making it sound like the most intimate caress of a lover, so sacred and special, that was her undoing.

The universe definitely wasn't playing fair with her. 

“If I decide to turn my back on it, to not go inside?” She whispered, throat tight with the heaviness of the moment, fingernails hurting the palms of her hands as they were closed tightly while Beth waited for his answer.

“I won’t involve you in this. You have my word on it.” He said, still caressing her chin, drawing small circles on it in a very distracting way. 

“And...And if I decide to do it?”

At her whispered words, his thumb slowly made its way up, following the contour of her lower lip carefully, his touch light as a feather. It made her want to lick it, taste it.

  
  


His gaze fell to her lips and stayed there for a few seconds, before moving up to her eyes again.

That simple act told Beth his hunger for her was just as strong as her hunger for him. It amazed Beth how tight that man's control was over his own emotions. 

Her own body was trembling but if it weren't for the feelings he was allowing her to feel, she'd have thought he wasn't affected at all by their closeness. 

Nevertheless, Beth tried to focus on his answer, because her future depended on it. Literally.

He didn't disappoint with the importance of the choice he was offering her.

“I'll show you the way. It’s your choice but once you make up your mind, there is no going back from it. So, choose wisely, Elizabeth, because I won't let you go so easily if you decide to do this.”

  
  


\----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TAN TAN TAN TAAAAAAAAAAN.
> 
> SO, SHOULD SHE STAY OR SHOULD SHE GO?


	4. Trust issues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In a night full of revelations, Beth needs to decide if she'll trust the man fate chose for her, or she'll try to find the whole truth out by herself.  
> \--

Beth  squeezed her eyes shut , needing the stillness and silence of the darkness to think more clearly. It surrounded her like a blanket, protecting Beth from the outside world. From  _ him _ .

_ That’s it. I just need to stop this overwhelming attack on my senses for a minute and think. If I keep looking at him, I might make a bad decision. _

She wished that that could be easier. Like closing your eyes and picking a random card, leaving the consequences of your choice in fate's hands. Everything could end up in disaster if she didn't weigh the pros and cons carefully.

If she said no, what would he do? something that would lead to his death or imprisonment, probably. Maybe he could get what he wanted, but at what cost? She couldn’t pretend that whatever happened to him wouldn’t affect her. That man was part of her, after all, and he was making a serious accusation against an FBI agent. He might have the best lawyer in the damn world but that wouldn’t mean much against someone with ties to people as powerful as him. There was a war brewing on in his world already. How long until all hell breaks loose? Would she be able to watch all unravel around him from afar?

_ Maybe if they weren't soulmates, but now? Not likely.  _

If she said yes, Beth would have to keep their connection a secret. No one could know until that entire mess was sorted out. Yet, secrets couldn’t be hidden for long. It wasn’t a matter of  _ if  _ the world would find out, but  _ when _ . Soulmate pairs needed to spend some time together for their connection to settle and strengthen. They needed to touch, to be close, and take time to really know each other. It was crucial to spend time together, or it could mess with your body and mind badly. 

Chemicals and body reactions. That part of having a soulmate sucked, according to Ruby and other colleagues with a soulmate she had in the FBI. The beginning was always the hardest part. She wished her parents had been a soulmate couple. It’d have made her own experience better, or less traumatic as it was. 

The law would be at their side, though. Prejudice against soulmates in the workplace wasn’t tolerated. They couldn’t fire her or get her off work for having a soulmate. Nobody could condemn her for having  _ Rio _ as one, but her boss could keep her away from any kind of work that could give her access to info related to his case. There would be suspicion and distrust from her colleagues, friends, and partner’s part for sure. Her children would be put in a difficult situation as well, because if it wasn’t safe for them to have a mother working for the FBI before, now it’d be even worse. 

Hell, from now on life wouldn’t be easier or safer for  _ her. _

Although, if they find out who was behind tonight’s attack, and the person meddling with Rio’s case, there was a higher chance of achieving success by using the FBI resources and some networking. 

When she was younger, Beth had promised herself she’d fight for a better life for her and her sister and, one day, do the same for her future family, working on something that would make the world a better place. She’d made her choice, hadn’t she? Thinking back to those moments of her childhood and young adult's life, she realized now that her choices had led her to  _ him _ . Every rock she’d climbed, the tears she’d cried, every mistake. Working at the FBI had paved her path to Rio.

She came to a decision but they’d have to reach a compromise for things to work. Somehow, she doubted that would happen so easily. Through the only point of physical contact between them, she could feel his strong-willed mind keeping his feelings at bay and only short waves of gentleness reached her, desire a constant in their link. 

Still, something dark and vicious lurked underneath it all. 

She hadn't felt it before, probably because he wasn’t touching her directly and with such intent, as he was doing now. It startled her, but also served to remind her that she didn’t know Rio Hernández at all, only what she’d heard about him. 

Beth knew she should tread carefully there. A mutual agreement about their plans was their only chance to survive that mess.

_ It’s time to follow the rabbit down its’ hole and see what happens next. _

Beth found it mildly amusing that  _ Alice in Wonderland _ had been her favorite book as a kid. Now, she finally knew how poor Alice really felt while entering a completely different world alone, just curiosity and bravery as her company. 

_ I'm brave enough. There is no way I can turn my back on this, either way. _

She prepared to jump.

\-------------

  
  
  
  
  


“I’ll do it.” She said, as she opened her eyes and was graced with the sight of him.

Beth waited as he kept staring back, eyes moving around her face as if looking for any sign of deceit or uncertainty. She tried to relax, in an attempt to reassure him of her sincerity, hands hanging open beside her instead of in tight fists, the lines of her face loosening up, as she hoped it conveyed her resolve on the matter.

A clock was ticking somewhere in the loft while she waited for his verdict. After a few minutes, he finally gave signs of making a decision. His hand left her face as he pushed his hands once again inside his jeans’ pockets, licking his lips, still observing her with a steady glare. Something in the way he acted seemed like he wasn’t sure of her words yet.

“You know this whole thing will take time, right? We’ll need to work together on this and you’ll have to trust me. I wasn’t lying when I said I wanted to work with the FBI and strike a deal to get them off my back, but now you know I can’t trust anybody there. You shouldn’t either. You’re painting a target on your back by helping me, and I’m ready to give you protection but only if I can be sure that you won’t stab me on my back in the end. Right now, it doesn’t matter what we are to each other, only that you don’t know me yet. I just need to know you’re open to the idea, though. I have my own people to protect.”

Beth could see that he was being honest. A man like him wouldn’t risk so much by doing what he did tonight if he didn’t have a strong reason behind it. He surely didn’t get where he was now by making stupid decisions. No, a man like Rio took his time, planned things, thought of every possible outcome before acting. 

Well, he wasn’t above taking some wild risks if what happened was any proof. Even so, some of the things he'd done tonight showed he had an ability to plan things under extreme pressure.

By the carefree way that he dealt with the news of those men’s deaths, it looked like he knew something like that would happen soon. He probably planned his escape from the FBI knowing someone would come for him too.

Swallowing around her dry throat, Beth nodded, showing her understanding.

“Look, I’m ready to do whatever it takes to help you and by that, getting the FBI clean of any dirty agents it might have. I know I won’t get all of them out, but it will be a good message to send to the rest of them. And yeah, I don’t trust you and I’m sure as hell you don’t trust me either, not completely, but you’re giving me the benefit of the doubt. You decided to reach out to me, so I’ll do the same. You have my word for what it’s worth. I just need one thing from you, though.”

She waited as  his forehead furrowed, head tilting to one side as he rolled shoulders in a swift movement, feet shuffling on the polished wood under him slightly. 

“Name it.” Rio said, without hesitation.

“The truth. Give me something to serve as a foundation to the trust I’m willing to build here with you.” 

“I have nothing to gain by lying to you. I don’t play these kinds of games, Elizabeth. What do you want from me?” 

“A name. If you think there's someone inside there trying to get you behind bars, you no doubt have a list. I just need one, so I can have a place to start. You do that, and I’ll show you everything you did to have me here today was worth it.”

The corner of his mouth quirked up into a half-smile, making his nose twinkle slightly -  _ she shouldn’t find that cute on a man like him.  _ -, as his eyes sized her up. The obvious admiration shining in those dilated pupils made Beth blush, her blood burning under her skin.

For the first time that night, Beth diverted her eyes from him, looking around the place and fixing her stare on the clock she found placed on a wall close to the kitchen, not ready for another assault on her senses. 

“You don’t need to do anything to prove me that, sweetheart. If it’s a name you want, a name you shall have. I’m not sure you guys are the best of friends, but I think Gayle Meyer  is a good one for you to start.”

She turned her head back at him so fast that she felt a nerve pulling painfully at the base of her neck. Her heart beating so fast inside her chest, that made the simple act of breathing harder than it should be. Beth knew she looked shell shocked to him, eyes and lips open wide in disbelief.

“Are you serious? Gayle? She’s been working there for almost two decades. She is pushy and a hard-headed person, and sometimes she goes too deep in an investigation but I’ve never heard a thing about her actions at work being questioned, or even a complaint of a colleague.”

Rio didn't seem to care for the impact of his revelation on her. No, he just stood there, brows furrowed, one of his hands coming out to rub his face, showing his annoyance at her obvious denial of the info that Gayle was a dirty agent.

“I know exactly what I’m saying. Do you think people like her will carry a sign around saying  _ “I’m a fucking liar _ ”? You sure know how this works. Good snitches are great actors. Tell me, is she really the kind of person who does things by the book?”

She hesitated before answering, thinking about the times they’d talked over their breaks from work. 

Gayle was easy to talk to, pleasant, and funny outside work. Inside though, she was professional, serious, and aggressive in her pursuits. She was used to getting her way most of the time when she was the head of an investigation. On the few occasions they'd talked, Gayle used to complain about some FBI's guidelines for interrogation’s methods. To her, some people didn’t deserve fair treatment - “ _ they weren’t fair to their victims, why should we be? But I guess it’s good to have rules and laws to keep us in line, unlike them, or we’d become savages, right?”-  _ Beth always liked to remind her that if they started to act like the guys they arrested, they wouldn’t be better than them.

If Gayle was someone who thought doing things by the book shouldn’t be a rule per se, what could guarantee that she wouldn’t start to do things her way?

In fact, considering the years she had working as an FBI agent, there was no possibility of a fellow younger agent filing a complaint about her methods. They’d feel like crap at best and be afraid of her finding out at worse.

“It’s fascinating watching you think and connect the dots by yourself…You got your answer yet?” He drawled in a quiet voice, almost sounding like he didn’t want to distract her but failing hard. His presence was distracting enough. 

“Yes. And no, I don’t think she does. Now, to think she’d go against the law itself to take who she considers the lesser of two evils down? She wouldn’t do that by herself just because she thinks you deserve it. No...You said someone out there wanted you out of the way…What she could get from all this? I don’t think she’d do it for money. I’ve been to her house and seen her get to work every day. Everything she owns is compatible with her salary. Unless she is sending the money elsewhere.”

Feeling breathless and overwhelmed with all the possibilities running through her mind, Beth faced Rio without considering him an enemy for the first time. The thrill of a new investigation gave her a new perspective on things around her. He stared back with those dark eyes now shining bright under the low light of the living room, giving her a sucker-punch feeling in her chest.

“That is what I’m still looking into. It's why I need your help. Do you think you can get to the bottom of this? Will you try to trust me?” His hand came back to caress her face in the same way as before.

He did it with such ease as if he had every right to touch her without asking for consent, that she felt brave enough to finally touch him back.

So, she raised one of her hands and slowly encircled his wrist, eyes fixed on his. His heartbeats were strong under the tip of her fingers, where they rested on his pulse. They moved over the soft skin there, following the veins underneath it, while Beth felt that gentle wave from before becoming a wild one.

Even so, she held herself back, keeping her mind on the game.

_ If he can keep himself in check, so can I. _

She schooled her face into a mask of professionalism, bringing her agent persona back, and gave her answer in a steeled tone, wanting to remind him of who he was talking to: a capable, strong woman who could do her job with efficiency and perfection.

“Yes. I certainly can and I will. What about you? You’ll keep your word? No lies, only the truth?”

“ You can count on it.” His voice didn’t waver, and Beth let a relieved sigh out, glad that they reached an agreement. 

She was ready to ask him more, but the sound of his phone ringing startled them both. Rio reached for it, still eyeing her while he talked to the person on the line.

“Yeah? Oh, hey bullet. What’s up?” 

Something was wrong, as his nervous tick on his jaw came back, the muscle tensing as the lines on his face tightened with suppressed anger. Beth bit her lips anxiously, watching him turn away from her, walking towards the large windows and staying there.

Hugging herself by the waist, Beth’s hands clutched at her sides, the feeling of the warm, rich fabric of her sweater soothing her nerves. The muscles of his back twitched under his buttoned-up shirt as he talked to the other person, in rushed, low words spoken too fast for her to understand. She could see the contour of her gun underneath his clothes.

She tried to access their connection but to no avail. His walls were high and strong around his mind.

_ Whatever it is, he doesn’t want me to know. _

Her own anger surged vicious and revengeful, followed closely by hurt. If he hides things from her, how can he ask her to trust him if he can’t even trust  _ her _ ?

  
  


Suddenly, he turned back, his eyes boring into hers, as he shook his head no, in a clear sign that he disapproved of her reaction to his secretive behavior.

In a childish, but very satisfactory action, she gave him the middle finger. Certainly, his face was worth it. His brows went up with surprise and his mouth opened and closed a few times, like a dying fish, until it closed again as the corners of his lips moved up a bit.

She kept hugging herself, waiting for him to end the call, a challenging look burning on her blue eyes.

“Ok, I’ll take care of it. For now, just come up here and take agent Marks home. We’ll deal with it later.”

He hung up and put the phone back in his pocket. Raising a brow at her, crossing his arms over his chest, his posture reminded her of a father ready to chastise a child for misbehaving. 

_ How dare he? _

“You wanna tell me what that was about? I thought you said you’d trust me?”

She scoffed at that, nostrils flaring as she pointed a finger at him.

“You want me to trust you but how can I when you don’t extend the same courtesy to me? This is a two-way road,  _ Rio _ . You can’t ask something of me if you’re not ready to do the same!”

His laugh filled the room, then. It wasn't a melodic, beautiful sound, no. It was an ugly, short-lived thing that gave her goosebumps, honestly. 

  
  


“You think I'll bare my heart for you, tell you every little thing about me, hmm? There are things I’m not ready to tell you yet. I don’t  _ have _ to tell you anything if I don’t want to. Especially things concerning my business. Believe me, it’s better if you don’t know, for your own good. Now, I think that me bringing you here, to my  _ home _ , is proof enough of how ready I am to compromise, yeah? But If you’re not sure yet, I think I have a way of knowing if we can really trust each other, sweetheart.”

In a quick move, he drew out her gun from the back of his jeans, pointing it right at her chest. His eyes leveled to hers as he walked purposefully towards her. Beth stared at her own gun and then back at him, not sure of what she was feeling. 

Strangely, fear was not it. There was mostly anxiety and curiosity at his actions, while she wondered where he was going with all that. 

_Oh dear god, I'm_ ** _not_** _afraid. I_ ** _trust_** _him._ _When did that happen?_

“What is gonna be, agent Marks? The safety is off as you can see. Do you think I would shoot you now, here? Even if you’re mine...Would I?” 

She couldn’t move, nor speak. She felt stuck, a prisoner to that man’s wicked will.

Beth watched, entranced, as he finally took the final step, standing right in front of her. The barrel of her gun pressed on her chest, over her heart. Her voice was only a weak whisper when she answered him.

“No. You wouldn’t.”

He nodded, head tilted again as the intensity of his stare kept her under his spell.

“Hmm...That's right. I wouldn't. Now, what about  _ you, _ I wonder...”- He taunted her as he touched her face with the cold tip of the barrel- “Would  _ you _ shoot _ me  _ ?” She got confused for a moment at his question and was about to ask him what he meant when, suddenly, he grabbed her right hand, making her hold the gun and pointing it at him instead.

Her loud gasp echoed around the room, as Beth stared at him with wide blue eyes. Her fingers twitched minutely with an unsteady hold on the gun, and time seemed to stop while she tried to breathe the air around her in shallow, rasping breaths. Cold sweat started to coat her palms.

_ I can’t do it. I can’t. I trust him at some level, even against my best judgment. _

Breathing deeply through her nose, trying to get a grip on the feelings wreaking havoc on her body, she told him the truth.

“I can’t. You  _ know _ I can’t.” To her horror, she felt tears filling up her eyes, and her voice sounded weak and broken, making her feel like a pathetic little girl.

However, Rio wasn’t immune to her suffering, if the pained expression on his face was any indication that her soulmate wasn’t a heartless bastard as many believed.

Her thoughts were cut by his next move, as he took the gun away from her hastily, put  the safety on, and threw it on the floor. Then, her body shivered violently as he grabbed her by the neck, his other arm holding her by the waist, bringing their bodies together in a tight hug. Beth acted on instinct, her hands clutching at his shirt, fingernails biting the skin of his back through the fabric, while he tucked her head under his chin, her nose buried deep on his neck. 

_ Fuck, this is heaven _ .

She could feel every thought disappear from her head, leaving just pure bliss behind. Something moved and rearranged inside her heart, her own mind expanding to make room for him as well. She knew he was just as shocked by how a simple hug could do that, reshape them into something completely different. It didn’t erase their sins and mistakes, who they really were, but opened a door to an important change. 

Now she understood why having a soulmate could be too much for some people. It was scary as hell, the prospect of becoming something else with a stranger, but also exhilarating.

That made her think about what or who she could become with him as her soulmate.

_ What about him? _

His scent was all around her, filling her lungs with every breath she took. Beth knew his nose was buried on the top of her head, his fingers brushing at the short hairs at the base of her neck, soothing and caring. His deep breaths in sync with hers.  He held her with an almost romantic tenderness .  The desire to kiss him, taste that man until morning, was unbearable. 

She  felt drunk on him, on them. It was hard to deal with the all-consuming passion in her veins, the protectiveness, and the sense of belonging that took place inside her heart.

His husky, low voice broke the quiet moment between them, sending her senses into overdrive all over again.

“Tell me, Elizabeth, if I kiss you know, you think we could stop, or I'd keep you in my bed until we both couldn't move anymore?”

  
  


_ Oh, holy shit. _

  
  


Her body thrummed with the force of his want for her, making her legs weak, her head spinning, and blood running fast in her veins. God, she felt her internal muscles clench while she bit the collar of his shirt to hold back a heavy moan. With her body pressed so close to his, she knew Rio was fighting just as hard to keep his hands from taking her clothes off.

Nevertheless, something in the deep recess of her mind still rebelled against that blissed-out feeling. Probably because Beth had learned to not only trust people so easily. Her own job taught her to be cautious and hide her vulnerability, her true self from others.  It was a survival mechanism ingrained in her mind since she was a teenager. She slowly disentangled herself from his arms, heart hurting as she did so. The answer wasn’t difficult and knew she wouldn’t be able to stop. Would _he_?

Beth decided to be honest, even if giving herself to him was what she wanted most in the world.

“No. I don’t think it’s wise, for both of us. We both know we wouldn't be able to stop.” 

His answering smirk wasn’t mean, no. For the first time, it was playful, boyish, making him look younger than he was.

“I agree...I don’t think any of us are really ready for that yet." - The eagle on his throat moved when he swallowed, his attention focused on her lips.- "My guy is gonna take you home, yeah? We’re both tired and in need of good sleep. I trust you to tell them a good story about what happened tonight. And don’t worry, I’ll be calling you very soon.”

A loud knock on the door made Beth jump, and before she could ask him  _ how he got her number _ , Rio was walking to the door already, unlocking it but keeping it closed still. He turned back to her, waiting as she looked around for her gun. Getting it up from the floor, she steeled herself, getting ready to leave him.

Beth went back to him, leaving not even an inch of space between them. Their breath mingled in the short distance separating them, so close that she could almost taste him through it, making her lips  _ ache _ .

She wanted to say something, even a lame "goodbye", but the person behind the door knocked loudly again, not giving them a chance to say much else.

“You better run along now, Elizabeth, before I make you stay.” His murmured words followed her all the lonely way home.

She didn’t doubt they would follow her into her dreams too.

\----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PHEW !!
> 
> Sorry, I wanted to post this chapter earlier but life got in the way. These two also gave me quite a headache, to be honest, but I figured things out in the end. About Gayle, I tried to tag her in this fic, but first I got her name wrong and then I found out that there was no Gayle tagged in the fandom so I chose a random one. Don't know which fandom it's from, tho.  
> Anyway, I bet you didn't see that coming, right? xD But wait, it gets better ( or worse lol). Oh, also, I'M SO SORRY THERE WAS NO KISS IN THIS CHAPTER!! >.< I promise this will be fixed soon.  
> ps: next chapter is gonna be written in Rio's POV(or half of it at least). I intend to switch the POV of this fic from time to time to shake things up and help me in case I get the smallest signs of writer's block.  
> Thanks for the kudos, comments, bookmarks, and subscriptions. It makes my day better *.*


	5. the thrill of the rush

“Fuck… Fuckin’ shit”.

His hands were trembling as they clenched the rough jeans under his sweaty palms, while he tried to get his whole body under control, muscles tense and body ready to bolt, run down the building’s stairs to get her back into his arms. Going straight to the bar where he kept a bottle of expensive vodka that one of his associates gave him as a "thank you" gift, Rio opened it with impatience and drank from it. He welcomed the way the liquid burned his mouth, throat, and his empty stomach, warming him from the inside, taking away the awful coldness _she_ had left behind. Letting out a defeated sigh, shoulders hunched while he walked to the large windows that gave him a sight to the empty dark streets, he wondered why life was fucking him up yet again, by bringing him his soulmate at such a complicated, difficult time. 

And a fucking FBI agent no less. 

_What the fuck am I supposed to do about that, uh?._

It was a question he knew that no one could answer for him, as he looked up at the sky, asking himself if that was some silly joke from fate, destiny, or something just as ominous. He didn’t know if God existed, but his life had always been full of ridiculous events that kept leading him to a certain path, and Rio was smart enough to know that when life gave you a chance, you took it without thinking twice. No one could help you to get what you wanted, but yourself.

A soulmate wasn’t something he’d desired, but he knew it was inevitable. Certainly, it wasn't something that he wanted, as he got older. People usually think of them as a new chance to start over, without really thinking of the consequences of welcoming someone who could easily turn into your weakest point. A liability. 

He still remembers his father’s words when he once talked about it:

“ _You know, kid. Happiness isn’t easy, you have to work at it. If you have half the luck I had by finding your soulmate as I did, maybe life won’t suck as much as it usually does. That’s what real soulmates are for: to make things a bit easier in this fuckin’ world, to make you stronger, less miserable. But only if you deserve it_. _If you mess it up, tho, do everything you can to survive_.”

  
  


His parents had died in a car accident when he was seven years old, and he was sent to a cousin of his old man, a guy who repeatedly told him how lucky “the bastard” of his father was and how he had lost everything by being stupid, greedy. It was only at the age of fourteen that he’d learned about his father’s real _job_ and what he and his mah were involved with.

His own uncle died without meeting his soulmate and he thought that, with the choices he made in life, the same fate awaited him. The only thing he remembered about his parents and his childhood was how they were so focused on each other, and how they used to spend all the time together when they were at home, making him feel like an intruder in his own little family most of the time. 

As long as his parents lived, they had been inseparable, and now he finally understood why. 

Letting Elizabeth go felt like the slowest, most agonizing form of torture he could have inflicted upon himself. Her feelings still resonated within his body and her perfume hung on his shirt, reminding him of what peace was like.

No thoughts, no anger or worries. 

Everything was silenced by her presence, his senses focused on her only. It was easy to forget that he didn't think he deserved a soulmate, or even wished to meet his, before meeting her. He could become addicted to that feeling easily, there was no reason to deny it.

_And how I need a bit of peace after all the shit that happened today._

But there was no rest for the wicked, right? That is what people say, and Rio Hernández was far from being a saint. He had cheated and lied all the way to the top of the business chain, fighting dirty to stay there, securing his status and money, while protecting the ones he cared about. The problem was that that thing was medieval, so now and then, a new guy or organization showed up to fight over the crown and declare themselves kings. The fact that they kept coming from all sides made Rio not only a very careful man but also picky with the people he made business with. Drug cartels were a huge no, for personal reasons. Counterfeit money was risky, but he liked the thrill of it and the hide and seek game with the FBI. 

However, most of the money he made, filling up his banker accounts like crazy, came from him being a consultant to a very selective and small circle of companies and businesses that wished to evade taxes, among other things, moneywise. They were few but paid dearly and gratefully for the price he asked. Considering how fast his other businesses grew, Rio knew that one day the FBI would knock on his door because you just couldn't trust people. Most of his “clients” were stupid asses with nothing but air on their heads, and a ridiculous amount of luck, which helped them to be born into rich families. One of them would make a mistake one day, and no matter how well he covered his tracks, he wouldn’t be able to stay in the shadows forever.

So, when agent Gayle first interrogated him, he asked his people to look into her and the other agents designed to work on his “case.” It was in one of those long interrogations' sessions that Gayle lost her cool agent persona, tired of his empty answers that lead her to nowhere, that she let Elizabeth Marks’ name out, saying that they had a “ _fellow agent that would see right through your little games, Mr. Hernández. So don’t think you’re that clever, or even unbreakable. I think I’ll call agent Marks one day and see how long you last with her. I’m all for seeing you behind bars and I don’t care if I have to ask for help to make this happen_.”

It was just like that bitch and her arrogance to think that she’d get what she wanted, no matter the costs, or if she was risking another agent’s anonymity by acting so careless. After he left the place, the first thing he asked Eddie, his tech guy, was to look for agent Mark's file and include her on the list of agents his people should keep an eye on. Studying his opponents and learning his weaknesses were the right way to protect himself and prepare for what would come. That was one of the many lessons his uncle had taught him. 

The only thing he didn’t expect was to develop an unexplainable fixation with that woman, though. 

There were times when he asked for updates on her, just to see some blurred pics of a curvy blond with long legs and tits to keep a man’s mouth and hands full and busy forever. Her face, in the few times one of the pics came out perfect, made him wish to kiss those lips until all he could feel was her taste on his tongue, nothing else.

While Elizabeth Marks was the kind of woman he normally felt attracted to, his desire for that specific woman was spreading like a disease, fast and merciless, keeping him awake at night, surprising in its intensity.

His body had been burning for hers for the last two years, but now? Now, the fire inside him became an inferno. 

He was man enough to admit his mistakes, and the biggest one was to think that he could live without feeling what he was experiencing now, even though it didn't erase the fact that she'd become one of his weaker points. Someone else for him to protect, aside from his kid and his kid's mama. She might be an FBI agent, and he had seen what she was capable of, but it didn't mean that she would know how to deal with what would happen, as soon as people found out about them because they would. It was something he should start to think about.

His first goal was to withdraw his last plans regarding the FBI and reorganize all the pieces of the chess game he started with them, while also trying to find out who killed Tremblay's men. He’d have to go after the man who, apparently, wanted him out of the game as soon as possible, afterward. Tremblay was just a piece of that intricate game someone else was playing in the darkness with him. 

He had a list in his head of some names of people who would gain a lot with the network he’d built in the city in the last few years. His role as the “concierge of crime” to some businessmen wasn’t something many knew about, but since the FBI has started snooping around his bank accounts and phone records for the past four years, their last recent move finally made an alarm sound inside his head. It wasn’t just a coincidence that in the last six months the FBI was knocking on his door again, after a few years keeping their distance while, at the same time, some of his old business partners started to call some deals off.

What Gayle and other fuckers inside the FBI had to gain with all that wasn’t important at the moment. The most important thing he had to do now was to guide Elizabeth through the right path and make her see things through his eyes or at least try. She’d have to walk that path with minimal influence on his part, or the risk of her turning her back on him would be huge. It had been difficult enough for him to let her go, knowing that she’s gonna be in the middle of an organization that isn’t as flawless as she thinks.

The irritating sound of his phone ringing brought him back from his troubled mind, though, as he recognized the ringtone of his lawyer. Swallowing the alcohol in his mouth, he let his head drop on the glass’s window, sighing tiredly and picked the phone up. Gretchen was probably furious with him. It was better to face her sooner than later.

“Gretchen.”

“Oh, good to know you remember me. You know, _your lawyer,_ the one who told you to stick to the fucking plan and DO NOT DO ANYTHING REMOTELY STUPID? WHAT THE FUCK, CHRISTOPHER? Do you KNOW the amount of paperwork your little show is gonna give me? Forget the headache, my head is _killing_ me already! Do you know how I felt when they told me you took an FBI agent hostage at _gunpoint_? Where are you right now? And you better give me a straight answer, or you and I are _done_.”

She was seething, her words spoken in a harsh tone, and he could picture her holding the phone close to her ears, sitting in her car, or a room alone, still at the FBI’s building, wishing to strangle him with her bare hands. Gretchen was usually calm and had iron control over herself even he envied sometimes, but Rio knew he had pushed things a bit too far that night. He closed his eyes, finally putting the bottle down. There was no time to fuck around with so many things on the line. 

“I’m at home. She’s going home. I brought her here. And before you start going ballistic on me again, I had a reason to do what I did.”

Knowing Gretchen like he did, letting her absorb his words and be a bit enigmatic was the best way to make her stop and listen to him. They’ve been working together for six years now. It’s more of a partnership at this point, rather than a basic lawyer-client relationship. Lawyers with big firms also had their dragons to fight against, and he knew people in the right circles to help friends in need.

It went without saying that Gretchen Zorada was one of the few people he could call a friend. Her no-nonsense, hardworking, and stubborn persona had called his attention since the first time they met back in 2014. Her qualities were a great sign that she could be trusted, better than others who claimed to be loyal. Actions always speak louder than words in the end.

The way her voice changed to a quieter, curious tone told him it was the right thing to say:

“What do you mean? What reason? We had talked about tonight, do you remember, Christopher? Make _her_ listen, take Gayle down, and put Marks as the one responsible for your case. Give them a list, or rather make them work for it. What possessed you that made you drag her out of here, pointing a gun at her head? Please, give me something to not let the law throw you in jail the moment you step out of your house because right now I’m trying to work on a deal to not let this happen.”

Well, it looked like the cat would have to be out of the bag sooner than later… But there was a way to do that without letting the entire world know it, right? If it was the only way to not face jail time anytime soon… some laws protect soulmates and sure, the right to keep this kind of info under secrecy if the pair wanted. 

_Shit, I should have thought about this better, but I couldn’t think straight or control myself. Not with her right fuckin’ there._

It was a risk he’d have to take. His FBI agent wouldn’t be happy about it, not to mention his lawyer. They’d have to think about a way to let the news out to the FBI. One important thing, though, was if the person they’d inform about it was one his soulmate trusted or someone he could trust to keep their secret safe. Although, maybe Gretchen could think of something better for the time being.

As if he was gonna be this lucky tonight.

_Better not kind myself. I need to get my shit together first and do what needs to be done. Damage control._

“She’s my soulmate.” There was no need to beat around the bush. A straight answer was what Gretchen deserved, so she got one. Honestly, it felt like he’d whispered it, though, in the empty room, it sounded more like it was spoken out loud. “Is there a law in any of your books that can make up excuses for my shitty behavior, darlin’?”

The silence on the other side was understandable. Poor Gretchen must be in shock. Rio Hernández has a soulmate who works at the FBI. Fate really must have a sense of humor. One probably as stupid as his tentative way of kidding with the whole situation in his last question to her.

“Fuck. You’re serious...This changes everything. _Everything_.”

  
  


“Yeah, I know.”

  
  


“Do you? This is a shitstorm, do you know that? Shit, I’m sorry…I really don’t know what to say, but. But yeah, I have a bunch of laws in my book that gives you an out to what happened tonight… Let me think, ok? Letting this get out now to the wrong people will be a disaster.”

He could hear her mumble some words to herself and what sound like a chair being moved around on the floor. 

“Right now I’m all ears. I don’t know who we can trust there and I can’t ask _her_ now. Harold is still a risk, I don’t trust the guy. Not with his power position up there. They’re a rotten crowd, you know it.”

He still could hear her move around, as her breathing pattern became more agitated over the phone. Gretchen liked to walk around a place while thinking about something and she was clearly doing that, trying to find a way out for them both.

“Yeah, I know, but let’s not put all them in the same group here. If it were like you’re saying we’d all be damned with no one in this country to trust. So, let’s not treat them all as enemies. We _need_ to trust someone, Christopher. Also, I don’t know how you’re feeling about all that… I just want you to keep your mind on the game. I don’t have a soulmate or know much about it, but she is an FBI agent first. She has been one for a good part of her life, so…You need to be careful.”

Nodding even if he knew she couldn’t see it, he got up, ready to get off of his clothes and go for a small nap before Bullet and Eddie got back there. Putting the half-empty bottle on the bar’s small counter, he started to head to his bedroom.

“Nah, don’t worry about that, Gretchen. You know me. I can separate things very well. If she crosses me, she’ll pay the price one way or another. Now…You know I’m a kind of soulmate parents, so it wasn’t something I didn’t think was impossible to happen. It is not something that can change our plans that much either if you think about it. Making contact with her and working with her as part of the plan already. The problem is that it’s gonna get harder to deal with the consequences if everything goes south.”

Gretchen scoffed on the line.

“Oh, please, as if you’ll let this happen. But in case it goes south, know this: no client of mine is gonna fuck with my perfect record of cleaning up asses of guys like you. This is my life’s work at stake here. I think I can work with something else besides the soulmate angle. Let’s not forget that you were a victim of a gruesome act of intimidation if we can call what a saw in the pics an FBI agent showed me on his phone, that. Seriously, we need to work on what happened in that place as well, Christopher.”

He sighed again as he shrugged his shirt off, remembering that he had to call Rhea before his nap or she would think he was dead or something. He was worried about that too, of course, he wasn’t dumb enough to think he was untouchable. Bullet had called before, when he was with Elizabeth, to say that the guys were Tremblay’s men and that it was the work of a professional.

Surely professional killers weren’t easy to find. Also, even he could acknowledge that his name painted in their blood was a grisly touch. It felt personal. Either someone really wanted to get his attention, or felt ignored for not having it before and now they’re done waiting to get it.

“I know. You can try to work on this angle, maybe? Tell them I’ve lost it for a minute. Felt threatened... Nobody to trust, I don’t fuckin’ care. She’s going home in perfect health and I know she won’t do anything to keep us separated right now. This thing is… Unreal, darlin’. Fuck. I’ll need to remind myself to keep both my feet on the ground constantly from now on. Count yourself lucky. I really think like I’m losing it already.”

Gretchen stayed silent for a minute, but when she finally spoke, it made him feel like a bit of an idiot. Soulmates were something that even the worst of men desired once. A woman like Gretchen was just as susceptible to its siren call as any other human being.

  
“Really, I’m a practical woman but I think it’d be nice to have someone to come back home, a person I could trust blindly, to rely on. You know we live in a tough place. You’re lucky.” There was a short silence he didn’t feel the need to fill up until she talked to him again. “I don’t think it would be practical to play on this angle though, the “ _losing it_ ” one. We’d need a doctor’s word attesting you suffered some kind of breakdown or something. Let's be honest, they won’t fall for that. They think you have her somewhere else, well, probably not now that I’m talking to you. I told them I’d try to contact you and I’m still in an agent’s office room.”

He groaned at her perfect reasoning, throwing himself on the kingsize bed, shirt forgotten on the floor.

“I don’t care. The goal is to not let them arrest me, right? You sure can find some doc free at this time of the night. Besides, as you said, they can’t say I’ve done anything to her because she’s probably home at this time. They have nothing on me.”

His lawyer kept going as if he didn’t say anything, though. Trust her to not let something go easily. It’s what made her so good on her job even if it made him crazy sometimes.

“Yeah, I could find someone, but they also could do something else. I’m sorry, but I really believe that the only safe option here is trusting Harold Cooper. _Rio_. Let’s take a leap of faith, ok? We can use this other angle to back our decision up. I can work together with him. Trust my judgment here. You _own_ me. If I tell him that you’re soulmates, he can also do something about what happened tonight in that warehouse. You’re her soulmate. Protecting you is protecting her. I’ve heard he is like a father figure to the woman. I know from my research on both of them that he feels the same way towards her.”

For her to call him _Rio_ was a sign that Zorada was on a crusade to have things done on her way only. She wasn’t being unreasonable, though. He could see that her line of thought held some sense and honestly, he paid her well enough to make the harder decisions for him.

His soulmate’s wrath was something only he would have to deal with. For now, it was the only opinion to get them both out of more trouble.

“Ok, do what you need to do.”

The cheerful tone of her voice sounded in his ear, almost making him cut off the phone call.

“Good. I’ll get this all sorted out before lunchtime. You can buy me dinner later today. It’s four in the morning by the way. It’s better if you pay for my breakfast and lunch as well.”

His laugh sounded real for the first time since he had woken up the day before, as her words hit him. There was only the faint feeling of missing something and worry beneath it all, not letting him really enjoy the moment with someone he considered a friend. 

It came from _her_.

_Oh, Elizabeth. Let’s just have this day apart, yeah? I’ll have this all sorted for you. You’ll be with me soon._

“Done. Now get back to work.”

“Yeah. You get some rest. See you later. Be ready for the show.” He smiled at her teasing words.

“I always am, darlin’. You know me.”

The call ended. He just had the presence of mind to send Rhea a message saying that everything was being sorted and he was good, then he was dead to the world. For a few minutes at least. His boys would come back soon.

His last thought was of her, though. He was sure it would be like that for quite some time. Or longer.

_Forever_ seemed more like it, rather than a possibility at that point.

  
  


\-------

  
  


He woke up thirty minutes later with a call from Bullet, saying that " the Agent was safe at home." There were a few cops and another agent there waiting for her from what they saw. They let her a few blocks away from her home for obvious reasons but could get a visual from her block when they made a turn to get to the road back to his home. He told them to just come back to his place because he really didn't think they find anything else about what happened in that warehouse since the place was still full of cops and other people snuffling around.

He had another job for Mick and Eddie. Rio trusted them both with the most important details of his activities, and now that his soulmate was part of the equation, he needed both of his most trust-worthy guys to keep a closer eye on her, for the time being. Maybe they could also find out if she could be trusted, after those last few hours after their newfound link. Eddie's gift with technology could give him some precious info too. Even though what he really wanted to hear first was about her state of mind during the whole drive back home.

However, he held his tongue back and waited for them to get there. He still needed to think about how to tell them that he wanted her watched closely, without raising any suspicion. He didn't wanna tell them anything about her being his soulmate yet. 

While he thought about his next steps, lying lazily on his bed, a message from Rhea telling him she was relieved and that she hoped to hear from him soon arrived soon after their call, and Rio got up again, going for a quick shower.

Another couple of minutes later, dressed simply in a black t-shirt and jeans, he made a cup of coffee and soon the ring of his doorbell alerted him of his guys' arrival.

Mick was the first to come in, following the smell of coffee from the door to the kitchen area, leaving Eddie to close the door behind them.

"So, your FBI agent stayed silent the entire way back home. Not a word or even a look at our face. We left her a few blocks back from her place, but when we made a turn to get back to the road, we could see the police around. But before she left the car, she told us " _thank you_ " and to tell you she'd “ _wait for your call, so you better not make her wait too long_ ”. Her words. "

Mick's expression showed him that Elizabeth had surprised them with her bravado. Not many FBI agents would act like she did and left unscathed if they were in her place. Well, they didn't know that she was his soulmate, so she got a pass.

He just nodded, not letting anything go through his face, talking to Eddie next.

"Eddie, do you think we can get anything in her place? I wanna you guys to watch her 24/7. She is gonna work with us from now on, but I need to know we can trust her. Also, work on Tremblay's guys. I need you to get your hands on any information about his moves, and his business."

Eddie looked a bit startled by his requests and only nodded, licking his lips. They were probably feeling that that day had become a turning point in their boss' life as well as theirs.

"Sure, Rio. Although, I'll need more time to figure out some of his last steps if you know what I mean. From what I've heard, he spent the last two months traveling between Canada and Mexico. And, uh, about the agent, sure. Let's just wait for them to let her be. I can't do much with them guarding the place like a fortress right now."

"Sure. Just start with Tremblay's first. Bullet, call the guys back for a Lil' job tonight. I'll pay double this time."

Mick's brows went up this time, clearly more than surprised. What was understandable, since he rarely paid double for anything, unless it was extremely necessary. And it was.

"Sure, boss. What for?"

It was time to show some people that he'd fight back just as hard. No one would fuck him up. He didn't get where he was now, acting as if he was a rookie, afraid even of his shadow.

It was time to go out for blood.

"To look for some strays on the streets. I'll be busy, so call for backup. Now, off to work, guys. I have some calls to make."

They gave him pats on his shoulders as they left. Soon, he was alone again and ready to restart the game.

  
  


.......

  
  
  
  


Gretchen Zorada waited patiently for a young agent called Noah to come back. She had everything figured out on her head. Every word she would say. She knew that agent Marks was probably at home, safe by now and that the FBI was talking about their next step since it was obvious that her client didn't actually abduct her.

Soon enough, he was back and followed by another female agent she didn't know. Looking straight into his eyes, chin up and shoulders thrown back, Gretchen hoped they'd see she had a card up her sleeve. Young agent Noah didn’t waste any time and stared down at her, not letting being intimidated.

"Well, Ms. Zorada, I think you know your client isn't in his right mind. We have enough proof of that tonight. Not to mention the fact that he's still been investigated in all those allegations of fraud and tax evasion. Things went bad tonight and it’s looking worse by the minute from where I stand. Are you aware of the repercussions if you don’t make him see reason? We can’t wait forever. Is he ready to come out or what?"

_Oh, going right for the jugular, right? You poor boy._

She didn’t budge and watched him with the same air of superiority she knew it made people like him hate her even more.

"My client is dealing with a lot, agent. People were killed tonight because of him and his son almost had to see his father being taken out of his home by officers when he is only a six-year-old kid. This can't do anything good to a person's mind. And you guys aren’t making this any easier. There is nothing my client wants more than to clean up his name and the allegations you have against him. I already told you that. "

She stated firmly, even though the look on agent Noah's face showed he couldn't care less about it. 

"Certainly, pointing a gun to one of our agent's head and taking her from us is not the right way to start any negotiation on his charges. Now, we've been walking in circles here, frankly. Did you finally make him see reason? Will he come in and let this all be sorted out the way it should have been from the start?"

Of course, just like any government's official, agent Noah had that holier-than-thou attitude she despised. She could barely keep her glee off of her next words, wondering what his face would look like.

"Oh, he won't. My client is really dealing with a lot right now as I said before, and I think you know your colleague is safe at home. Please, don’t make me repeat myself. It makes us both look like idiots. Mr. Hernández wants to talk, although it'll be on his terms. Actually, the only one he wants me to talk to is Mr. Cooper. Rest assured, agent, the FBI has a lot to gain by hearing what my client has to say."

The astonishment of both FBI agents was exactly as she'd pictured in her head. Gretchen couldn't hide her smile even if she wanted.

To be completely honest, she didn't really care.

  
  


  
  
  
  
  



	6. Heaven is a place on earth with you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit. I'm so sorry. I wrote a 23 pages' chapter and I could cut it in half because honestly, I thought it would break the pace of it.  
> It'll have sisterly love and Brio and Zorada being awesome. I hope you enjoy and sorry again for making it so long >.<  
> ps: italics here are either thoughts or flashbacks!

To come back home after everything that happened that night felt odd. She didn’t even notice the police car that was patrolling the streets. One of the police officers called her name and then she was inside of the car in a blink of an eye. One of them was a woman, and she kept asking if Beth was ok, if she wasn’t hurt, saying that her colleagues were at her house waiting for news about her.

When she got there, the door was open, and inside were Jim and, to her surprise, Gayle, sitting on her old leather-brown sofa with a grim expression on her face. The woman that her - she still couldn’t make herself say the word without feeling a shiver running up her spine - _soulmate_ told her to not trust. 

Well, she could say that she was in shock or something. In reality, she felt disconnected from everything around her, cold sweat making her feel sick, exhaustion making her body feel heavy and sore. Jim was standing in the middle of the living room, hands on his waist, and head down. As soon as he saw her coming into the house followed by the same female cop that spotted her walking alone in the streets of her neighborhood, he ran to her side, hugging her tightly, nose buried in her hair.

“God, Beth. I thought we had lost you for a moment there.” - There was no way of telling him that this would never happen, that Rio would never hurt her. She tried to say something, but there was a lump in her throat that didn’t allow her to speak or even make a sound. Tears gathered in her eyes and instead of saying a word, she started to cry.

Gayle could go to hell. She just wanted to have a good cry in her own home and sleep until that awful feeling of helplessness left her body. 

Jim started to caress her back, trying to comfort her in the only way he knew. He wasn’t a man that said much, or even knew how to act before a crying woman, but it was good to know her friend cared. She wondered if he’d keep caring when he finds out about the truth. God, she really needs a night of good sleep, maybe then her brain could function and think about a way to deal with all the mess that her life was about to become next. Also, she had her children to consider. Oh shit, the girls would be home in just a couple of hours. She didn’t know if she could deal with them in the poor state her mind was in. Beth could feel her hands shaking, her mind on the brink of a breakdown.

“It’s ok, Beth. You went through something really bad today, but everything is gonna be alright. We took care of everything for you. Just breathe.”

She tried to calm herself down, breathing as he said, face still buried in his shoulder. In fact, she really didn’t want to look at Gayle. She still didn’t know how to react around her, but to look in the eyes of the woman who was partly responsible for the situation she was dragged into, felt like a punch to the stomach.

“M-my kids. I-I nee, need to, to talk to D-Dean.” Putting some distance between them while trying to clean up her face with her hands, dark mask marking her fingers - God, her face must look awful- she tried to take her phone from her pocket, but Jim’s hands held hers, making her face him.

“Hey, I said we took care of it. Gayle here knows Hernández more than anyone. She thought he’d likely release you. The guy likes a good show, he can’t help making a spectacle out of everything he does. So, we decided to call your ex and your sister to say that we’d need you on a big case today. In the worst-case scenario, we’d have to apologize and give them all the support we could. Thank God this wasn’t necessary.” She was about to thank him when Gayle finally decided to speak. The sound of her voice making her skin crawl.

“I think I should be the one apologizing to you, Beth. I’m the one working on his case. I should be there tonight interrogating him, but I felt like I needed a break yesterday. I was letting him get under my skin and I needed to regroup. Now, all I want is to work twice harder to find out why he dragged you in the middle of this. I don’t know what he told you, but don’t believe a word that that man said. He can outsmart the devil himself, but we’ll find a way to break him into small pieces.”

Anger was the first thing she felt as Gayle smiled at her, looking like a revengeful angel, all sweetness and caring eyes looking at her with guilt clear in the way her shoulders were hunched, the lines of expression on her face looking deeper even with make-up on them.

_Well, if she had time to apply make-up while I was having my world turned upside down on the other side of the city, I can tell her to go fuck herself, right?_

However, this could make things even worse for Rio and her later. It was better to control the protective instinct that she was already feeling towards him. At least Rio didn’t hide who he was and they knew exactly what to expect from him. What Gayle was really capable of?

She fought hard to not frown at her, pressing her lips instead with a force that hurt her lips. The pain made her focus on answering her in a way that masked how she was truly feeling right now. It was best to have Gayle on her side for as much time as she could before they all find out that the man she just called the devil was Beth’s soulmate. Her voice sounded weak even to her ears when she spoke, what really worked for her. Her colleagues needed to think that she was fragile and unsteady after whatever they thought it happened that night with Rio.

_Not that this isn't true. This is exactly how I feel, probably because I miss that son of a bitch already._ It was still a mystery to her what he would do to fix things for both of them. She just hoped it wouldn’t involve any more theatrics on Rio’s part.

“You were doing your job, Gayle. I-I think I need to sleep everything off. I…Can I really have this day off? I’ll tell you everything that happened tomorrow, but right now I just wanna close my eyes and sleep. ”

Gayle nodded at her, agreeing with her reasoning, although Jim still insisted on making sure she was really fine before leaving for good.

“Hey. You’re not hurt anywhere, are you? You sure you don’t need a doctor? I think you should call your sister, at least. Tell her what happened. I don’t want you to be alone in this house.”

“I just need some time to rest, Jim. Please. I’ll call Annie later, or Ruby. I know you guys are breaking some protocols for me. You know me. You know I’d hate to be treated like a victim. Tomorrow I’ll be my old self again, I promise. Today I just wanna forget about what happened. Gayle, you can make sure that this guy here won’t do anything stupid?”

She tried to make fun of the situation to assure her friend that she’d be fine. She didn’t care about Gayle, but Jim was someone she didn’t want to lose. Loyal people aren’t easy to find nowadays and to have someone like Jim by her side is something Beth is ready to fight for, even with Rio, if necessary.

The other agent smiled at them, Jim still eyeing her worried, though he took a step back, hands falling beside him.

“No problem, Beth. Leave him with me. We need to go back anyway, we have a lot of work to do. You sleep and eat something later, ok? The cops will stay though. They’ll keep an eye on you and on anyone strange around the neighborhood.”

That made her stomach clench, dread filling her heart. If they kept an eye on her, there was no way Rio or his men could get closer to the house. No way of him seeing her. Well, it was not like he’d be there so soon, right? Why was she behaving like that? So dependable of him already? 

_It’s just the link between you two. You knew this could happen. It’s too soon for you two to be separated already. You need some time together._

Yet, they couldn’t have that. They were not like other normal couples. She needed to learn how to control this thing between them. That reminded her that she’d have to talk with her sister and her friend about that. The only problem was _when_ she’d do that. Talking to other people would make everything real.

Jim’s voice brought her back.

“Oh, ok. You two win. Call me if you need anything. We’ll be doing everything we can to make things right. Tomorrow is gonna be another day. I’ll come to get you, ok? And like Gayle said, you’ll be safe. No one will get inside this house without us knowing. Take care, Beth.”

Not trusting herself to talk and tell them she didn’t need protection, that it wasn’t necessary, her lips formed a smile that felt awkward on her face. It felt like the muscles there didn’t work right, just like the rest of her. Watching them go made her feel lighter. No need to pretend or fake smiles. A sense of calm and peace washed over her, suddenly. For now, there was silence and the comfort of her own home surrounding her.

Going upstairs, she decided to turn her thoughts off, only enjoying the quiet around the place. After a hot shower to relieve the tension on her body, Beth only had the energy left to comb her wet hair and put on some comfy old pajamas, finally lying down on her bed, ready to sleep like the dead.

\-----------------

  
  


The sounding of an annoying beep from her phone woke Beth up. Feeling well-rested, body languid and relaxed for the first time since the beginning of the week, Beth stretched her arms and legs, toes curling under on the sheets. There wasn’t a single thought occupying her head. Everything was satisfyingly empty.

Until the beep sounded again. When she got the damn thing under her pillow, the first thing she saw was a couple of messages from Jim, Dean, Ruby, and Annie. Jim’s, she already imagined what they said. Hitting on Dean’s name instead, she read the small text saying that he’d take the kids to her house tomorrow, that they missed her. Ruby’s messages told her that she’d missed her that day and hoped they could meet tonight. She’d bring her kids to see hers and that she’d been waiting for an answer. The last ones were from Annie.

There were fifteen messages from her sister. The last one read: _I’m on your street now. If u awake, plz send me a msg m’ worried bout u”._

That made her roll up the other messages, and the only thing she felt as she read them was anger at Jim for not keeping his word. He had told his sister, judging by her freaked out messages, all of them a variation of questions asking about her well-being.

Sighing heavily, she got up from the bed, trying to decide what to say to Annie. The truth, or try to keep things under secrecy until things get less confusing? Well, things would probably get worse before they could get better. Honestly, she couldn’t keep a secret from Annie since they were younger, and it was better to tell her the whole truth since it wasn’t something she could keep hidden forever. The only problem with Annie was that she couldn’t keep a secret to save her life.

_I’ll need to make her understand this is a case of life or death. It’s my career on the line as well._

To lose her job when it was such an important part of herself would be like losing a limb. She didn’t want to think about that. The sound of a door opening and closing distantly alerted her of her sister's arrival.

As soon as Beth got on the top of the stairs, her sis appeared in the hall and looked up at her, looking white as a sheet, and Beth’s heart lurched painfully inside. Poor Annie always had relied on her their entire lives. Their broken home had taken a heavy toll on Annie’s life as she grew up. Annie’s always been a sensitive person and while they were growing up, it was Beth she looked up to when she needed guidance. Wondering how she must have felt, thinking that Beth had been hurt and alone, she ran to her sister’s side, hugging her tightly, as Annie met her halfway.

“You idiot. You said you’d be careful and then you got yourself abducted by a crazy guy. Don’t do that to me ever again, Beth. I swear I’ll go to hell and back to make whoever hurts you pay for it .”

Her laugh sounded strangled, as she finally put some space between them, looking at the wet face of her sister, drying her tears with her fingers delicately. Annie being her overly dramatic self brought some relief to her. 

“I’m sorry… It wasn’t something even _I_ could predict…You know my job is a risky one, but I love what I do, Annie. And whatever Jim told you, please, I need you to hear me first. That is why I didn’t want to tell him or anyone anything. I’m ok, safe and no one hurt me.”

By the way, her sister looked at her, body tensing all of a sudden between her arms, those weren’t the best choice of words.

“Beth, I’m sorry, but the last thing I need is to be lied to. If it’s your life on the line, of course, I want to know the truth, even if it’s hard. You can’t protect me from everything, Beth. You’ve been doing this all this time. I want you to let me take care of you for a change. Jim told me what happened. He didn’t want you to be alone. Why didn’t you call me? Or let him call me?”

It was now or never. The opening she needed to tell her the truth. Not knowing if she’d have any energy left to tell Ruby later that night, or even if she should, Beth decided to get that out of the way. Annie would be a good listener at least, or so she hoped.

“Because I needed time to think about everything that happened yesterday, Annie. It’s not what you think. It’s not what Jim or even the FBI thinks…God, my entire life changed in such a short time that I don’t know what to do anymore.”

She knew saying that would make her sister’s worry worse and yet, there was no other way to tell the truth. Annie held her by the shoulders, looking at her with brows furrowed, biting her lip worryingly as her eyes fixed on hers, looking like she was trying to decide if Beth was mentally stable enough to even talk. 

“Beth, what are you talking about? You’re not making any sense, sis. You sure you don’t need to talk to one of those therapists who deal with what you just went through yesterday? I think you should talk to one, the FBI surely can help with that.”

She couldn’t help but snort derisively at her sister’s words. As if she could talk to one about _it_. Turning her back to Annie, feeling restless and frustrated with the whole situation, she walked straight to the kitchen, opening one of the cupboards where she stashed all the alcohol in the house, away from the kids’ eyes. Getting a bottle of bourbon, she got two glasses and poured the liquid in them. Annie followed her there, looking at her as if Beth was a bomb about to explode suddenly.

Well, she felt unbalanced still, but sleeping had helped a bit. She extended one of the glasses for Annie to hold and when she did, Beth took a sip of her bourbon, feeling a bit stronger after swallowing it down. It was time to get straight to the point and not drag that impossible situation out unnecessarily. Putting the glass down on the counter, she looked at her sister and finally let the truth out.

“I can’t talk to anyone about it, Annie. I found out that the man who refused to talk to anyone but me while I was working on a case that involved him...The man who took me away from the FBI under gunpoint and took me to his home… is my soulmate.”

If Annie had drunk the bourbon, Beth was sure she’d have spitted everything out by the look on her face. Her eyes bulged out, a gasp leaving her open mouth as she kept staring back completely muted. Annie seemed petrified for a minute. Two. Three. Then, she finally spoke, or better, she screamed as Beth covered her ears to protect them.

“WHAT THE HELL?!”

“Geez Annie, can you lower your voice down for God’s sake? I have a couple of cops outside, supposedly here for my protection. And please, for what is more sacred to you, do _not_ let this _out_ of this house, ok? It’s _my_ life, _my_ job on the line, Annie. _Please_ . _Please,_ be _very_ careful about it. No one can know. Not now, at least. Do you understand?”

Now, she was the one holding her sister’s shoulders, moving towards her so fast that she didn’t give Annie time to step away, desperate for a reaction, or a word from her. It was crucial for her to understand that if that info got out of the house, she and Rio would be in big trouble.

“Beth, _of course,_ I won’t say anything to a living soul unless you give me permission. For fuck’s sake, I was just shocked...You’ve had the luck to finally find your soulmate and I can’t stop but think that for him to be a criminal...I-I don’t know what to say. Sorry? Congratulations? Damn, sis, sorry. if _I_ don’t know what to say, I can only imagine how _you’re_ feeling right now.” 

Annie really looked like she was sorry indeed. Beth could do nothing but smile sadly at her. It was something to contemplate, the irony of the whole thing. However, remembering Rio’s words and everything he’d told her, maybe Beth should put herself in his shoes, try to understand his motivations behind the things he had done in his life that lead him to be who he was now. 

The problem was that everything was so confusing and messed up that she couldn’t trust her own judgment. She needed to talk to someone who knew what having a soulmate was like and what were the limits between two people who shared the same fate. Annie obviously couldn’t help with that, but she could help with listening to her fears and doubts.

“Yeah, it’s been rough thirteen hours. I feel conflicted and lost but honestly, deep down I’m _happy_ , Annie. And yeah, he is a criminal, even if a sophisticated one, but it’s not that simple. We tend to label people and put them in small boxes at our convenience because we have the need to categorize everything, so we don’t need to think deeper about it. It’s a control thing, I believe, but we don’t have control over life. It’s all an illusion. There are things he did that I wanna understand. In fact, I need to because if I don’t, we won’t have a chance of living our lives in peace.”

Annie looked at a loss of words, regarding her with a rare serious expression on her face. Her words when she talked were so low that she could have whispered them instead.

“I don’t know what it’s like to have someone so important in your life like that. You know mom always talked like it is bullshit. I always dreamed of finding mine, someone that would love me for who I am, respect me, and support me. I’m happy if you’re happy, Beth. I love you. But be careful. You know that are cases when even soulmates don’t work out. Although, if you two do, count on me. The FBI can’t do anything. There are laws that protect soulmates, even _I_ know that.”

She wished to tell her everything about the investigation on Rio and his claims that the FBI wasn’t as trustworthy as she thought, but it’s not something she was ready to talk about yet with Annie. She didn’t want to get her sister in the middle of a situation that could turn quickly into a nightmare. Annie wouldn’t be able to do much and she knew her sister would want to help. For now, it was better to just enjoy that moment. 

“ Well, yeah, there are laws about it, but you know it’s not that easy. They have an investigation going on about him and his business. It’s not that I’ll keep that a secret forever. We’ll need to tell people at one point, but we need to think of how to do it and the consequences of it. And about what you said before...I’m well aware that I don’t know anything about him, only what I’ve heard and read. It’s like I said, though. I want to learn and know him. How this is gonna end, only time will tell, but I won’t jump into it blindly, Annie.”

Her sister smiled for the first time since she came into the house. A big, honest one that lifted what was left of that heavy sensation she still felt inside her heart.

“This is the Beth I know. You are always so careful, big sis, sometimes I wonder why I worry so much about you. I guess it’s because you’re my only family. Well, you and Ben. Now, enough with the heavy stuff. Tell me what it felt like, what is it like. I wanna you to enjoy this and forget the bad part. Though if you wanna talk about your worries and such, feel free. I’m here to listen.”

Hugging her feeling like her chest would burst with love for her lil’ sis, Beth kissed her soundly on the cheek, in her own way of showing how thankful she was for having her there.

“Ok, let’s get our bourbon and talk about it.”

“Oh, and what about Ruby… Will you tell her?”

“Yeah, I intend to. She and Stan are soulmates, so I think she’ll be able to answer a few of my questions. Not today though. I need to rest. Tomorrow is gonna be hard and I think I’ll talk to her then.”

Nodding, Annie said she understood. Then, together, they got upstairs to talk in the comfort of Beth’s bed.

The rest of the afternoon was spent in her sister's company. It felt great to share her feelings with Annie. She didn’t tell her about what Rio’d told her, but she talked about her insecurities and her hopes, trying to hang on the last.

\------

Annie left at seven that night, telling Beth to call her if she needed anything, hugging her tightly at the door before leaving. Then, Beth called both officers who were staying inside their car parked in front of her house and told them she wanted them to leave. She was a fucking FBI agent, she had three guns at her house and she could defend herself damn well.

The officer named “Johnson” only told her that it was her superiors’ orders and that if she wanted them to leave, she’d have to call them.

Well, there was no way they’d do as she said. Jim called Annie even though she’d told him that she needed time alone and didn’t want to worry anyone. That reminded her that she had to send him a message telling him to fuck himself. He didn’t respect her wishes and did as he thought it’d be best. She hated when he did that. Going back inside knowing how to pick her battles, Beth decided to call Dean to talk with her girls. She didn’t know how tomorrow would be, but she’d probably have to ask him to stay with them another day and bring them home the day after.

He answered the phone after the third ring.

“Hey Dean, I’m just calling to talk to the kids for a bit. I have a few minutes free. Are they there?”

“Hello, Beth. They’re outside with my mom. They were heartbroken when I told them they couldn’t see you today. I wonder when you’ll work fewer hours to stay with our girls more...You’re losing the best of their lives Bethie.”

Rolling her eyes, Beth tried to stay calm and not play his ridiculous guilty game. She wasn’t in the mood to hear Dean’s bullshit tonight. It didn’t matter what would happen tomorrow but she’d find a way to have the girls with her tomorrow.

“Look, I do what I can and I’ll sure do even more to make them happy. Can you please put them on the phone? And be sure to bring them home tomorrow.”

Her clipped tone worked. He didn’t say anything else, and she heard him calling out their names through the phone. The happiness in Emma’s voice brought another rush of good feelings to her heart, making her smile yet again that day.

“Mommy! Oh, I missed you. We made cupcakes with granny today! Jane says we will bring you one tomorrow!”

She laughed at her kid’s enthusiasm at such a small thing.

“Oh, love, how nice! I can’t wait to taste it! What else did you guys do?”

Going to the kitchen to prepare something to eat while she heard Emma describe her day with a smile on her face, Beth couldn’t feel luckier than she was already, for just having those two small creatures in the world to keep her sane.

\------

  
  


It was dark outside, the house immersed in silence as Beth woke up suddenly. There was a nagging feeling in her brain that surged all of a sudden, a strange feeling that she couldn’t quite name it, but so strong that awoke her in the middle of the night. Looking for her phone under her pillow, she hit one of the buttons just to unlock the thing and see what time it was: one-thirty. 

Frowning at the screen, Beth got up and went to the window, pushing the curtains off, she looked down and saw the police car still parked in front of the house, windows closed. Something didn’t feel right. She got her gun from the place she kept it hidden, keeping the safety on, and decided to go down and see if everything was in order. She put on her red silk robe over old yoga pants and a white old t-shirt that Dean forgot there ages ago. 

She had changed after dining in the company of her children’s voices, taking a shower when they hung up and she finished eating. After all, she had spent the whole day in her favorite pajamas and the others weren’t as comfy as her fave one, or her over-stretched yoga pants and that stupid t-shirt.

Used to walking in her own home in the dark, Beth was on her way to the stairs, holding the gun lowly on her hand, when that tug sensation made itself known. Her heart started to beat faster in the little space of time between one beat and another, her breath following it, unsteady. 

_He is here. How?_

Her bare feet didn’t make a sound while she went down the stairs slowly, and went straight to the kitchen, knowing he’d be there.

It wasn’t necessary to turn on the lights to see him sitting on one of the chairs of the kitchen’ table, face leaning on his right hand as the other held a glass of what seemed to be water. She kept silent as she walked past him to turn on the lights. Although, when she got there she decided to not do it. It might call the cops’ attention and the last thing she wanted was to alert them of the fact that she had a visitor that night.

The light coming from closed windows was enough to illuminate part of the room, casting shadows over the place.

_How the hell did he enter the house with the cops right in front of it?_

Turning back, she finally faced him again, after a whole day without seeing that man. The tug sensation became overwhelmingly potent, pulling her towards him with a force that made it hard to keep the distance. She fought against it, though. It was important to not let that thing cloud her head and make her act stupidly in front of that man. 

He wore a dark hoodie this time, but she could see a shirt underneath it. One thing new on him was the small piercing on his nose, shining a bit under the weak light coming from outside. She thought of the cops outside. They might decide to take a look around the house, right? Something in her face must have shown what went through her head because he spoke in a gravelly voice that sounds a bit tired to her ears:

“Don’t worry, honey. They’re asleep. And before you ask, I’m good at picking locks. Your back door made it surprisingly easy for me. You should change the locks.” His eyes traveled down and up her body again while he talked. He might be tired, but the way the room felt charged with something she couldn’t quite name, along with how he kept staring at her, told Beth that Rio was still deadly dangerous to her.

“Are you crazy? What if one of them wakes up and sees you here? Also, I could have shot you.” She said, keeping her voice low, raising her hand to show him her gun. Rio just shrugged sipping on the water, his back lying against the back of the chair comfortably. He seemed at ease as if he was at home. She didn’t know how to feel about that.

One corner of his lips lifted in a soft smirk as he talked again:

“Nah. We already know you couldn’t, but I guess this could turn into our thing if you want. Better be careful, tho’. People could think there’s somethin’ going on between us.” Being so close to him made her able to feel what he was feeling easy, and the fact that he was amused and enjoying being there in her company was something that agitated the annoying butterflies in her stomach.

She couldn't help but play his little game, knowing he was baiting her, arching a brow at him, still holding her gun without pointing it at him:

“Yeah? They sure could think that if they saw _you_ here. Twice you sought me out in less than twenty-four hours. What does this say about _you_ , Christopher? Or you prefer to be called _Rio_?” Neither his face nor his posture changed. Through their link, she felt a surge of admiration coming from him. What made all really odd was the fact that he wasn’t hiding anything from her this time. 

_What does this mean?_

“Rio is fine. It’s what people close to me call me. And I intend to have you _really_ close, Elizabeth. As close as possible.”

How could she resist a man that said that looking at her as if nothing else existed? His dark eyes locked on hers, smirk gone, replaced by an intense glare that made her body feel heavy with want. Her hand tightened on the gun, while her nails bit the soft skin on the palm of her other one. She hoped he couldn’t see her nipples harden beneath her clothes.

“Why?” She wanted to hear his answer. It felt important that he answered that question and he probably could feel it because he narrowed his eyes, head tilting to one side as if trying to read her thoughts. Thank god he didn’t have that power. Being able to read her feelings was bad enough. 

She watched as he moved then, standing up without taking his eyes off hers, hands buried deep in the hoodie’s pockets.

“Coz’ feeling your happiness through what you and I have felt good. Today was shitty as hell, but then I felt a bit of what you did this afternoon, and I wished it for myself. You see, I’m greedy and selfish like that. I see something good, I want it for myself. And I want _you_ , Elizabeth. No matter the price or risks.”

No woman could stay indifferent hearing that. Her lips were dry, her pulse escalating, and her entire body burned bright, coming to life. Shit, it’s like he said: that feeling was addictive. But stubborn as she was, her mind stayed on the game. Beth couldn't afford to fall into a trap, even if that man was her soulmate. 

Even if she could feel he was being honest.

She wanted to believe him, to know him, and not put him in a damn labeled box, but her mind needed more proof that he could be trusted.

“You’re risking a little too much.” 

He took two careful steps forward.

“Aren’t _you_ ?” Defiance written all over his body. Rio knew she was resisting _it._ Resisting them. He was determined to break down her walls, though. Beth didn’t move.

“You’re the one in a house being watched by cops who could wake up at any moment.”

Two steps more.

“You think I care?” The low baritone of his voice sounded like a caress to her ears. There was genuine curiosity in his words.

She licked her dry lips, trying to keep herself still. 

“Honestly, I don’t know. I don’t know what you think. I don’t know anything about you.” And she meant it. That man was like a book written in an unknown language to her. Everything she knew she’d heard from others. 

Two steps more. Anticipation filled the air around her. He was getting _so_ close.

“And I wanna change that. You think I’m not willing to do what I can to have you by my side?”

By his side, not _on_ his side. It was impossible for her to not notice the difference. Also, he was there, wasn’t he? One move and she could make his life more difficult than anyone else he knew. Cold sweat started to coat the palm of her hands as he kept her captive with his eyes.

“How can I know if you won’t use this thing between us against me later?” 

He took two more steps that left him finally close enough to touch her.

_Good Lord, give me some restrain._

“Walk the last steps and find out. If you’re brave enough. _Stop_ overthinking it. The ball is in your court now, sweetheart.”

She didn’t know if she should laugh at his damn smart move or punch him. Of course, he’d turn the game to his advantage. Clever as he was, maybe deep down he knew that she was the one that should cross that other line between them. God, who was she kidding?

The man was meant to be part of her. Who better to know how to deal with her than him? They might not know each other and yet, that didn’t mean they were strangers to each other. Not really.

She put her gun in her robe’s pocket and took the last two steps to stand face to face with him, chin raised up to keep their eyes locked. One of her hands touched his chest, right where his heart was beating. The warmth of his body called to hers, the tug was forgotten, only desire and want remained. Her other hand gripped his shoulder, as his hands touched her for the first time that night. One gripped her waist while the other moved to the back of her neck, fingers entangling on the short trends of her hair again, making her shiver with the possessiveness of his touch.

  
  


“Come on, Elizabeth. Show me how much you want this.” The way his tongue rolled slowly around the words sounded sensual and dark in the silence of the room, breaking her resistance, walls falling like a castle made of cards. There was no way to go back now. She wasn'T the type of woman to back down from the obvious challenge in his voice.

She didn’t say a word, letting her actions speak for herself.

Tightening the grip on his shoulder, she stood on the tip of her toes, body pressing hard against his, as her other hand went up his chest slowly, savoring the feeling of it, to finally rest on his face.

The distance between their lips was finally crossed as she closed her eyes, welcoming the darkness and losing herself to the intimacy of the act of kissing someone else. The first touch of their lips was brief, a soft brush to feel the texture of the skin there. It felt soft, warm, while she went back for more, pressuring her lips to his, feeling him respond to her, following her lead as she repeated the act, pressure getting higher every time their lips met for more.

It felt electric, each touch and breath shared between them, and when she couldn’t keep teasing him anymore, her tongue followed the contour of his lower lip, seeking entrance that he gave to her willingly, his grip on her waist getting impossible tighter. She’d have his fingers’ marks there tomorrow, and with that thought in mind, she moaned as their tongue met, his taste invading her mouth, hot, sweet, and heady. 

_Holy shit, this is so fucking good. Perfect._

Her entire being was focused on _him_ , on every place their bodies were connected, on the way his lips became from soft to hard in seconds, demanding control and surrender from her. Suddenly, all her insecurities and fears about _them_ were replaced by a sense of belonging and safety that only that man kissing her with an untamed passion could give her. 

Beth gave free reigns to her body’s wishes and demands and to _his_ too.

Her pert nipples pressed against his hard chest, and her aching core sought the hard clad of his jeans, as she felt how hard Rio was already. His rough grunt was proof enough that his control had been lost moments ago, probably when he had laid his eyes on her as soon as she showed up in the kitchen. The kiss turned rough, lips pressing harder, as she sucked his tongue inside her mouth, and Rio’s response was to wrap his arm around her waist, holding her up and closer still, keeping their bodies pressed together. 

It felt like both heaven and hell, to feel something so strong and intense, her internal muscles clenching around nothing, while she started to rut against him, gripping both of his shoulders now. He didn’t make it easier for her, though, pulling her hair with enough force to break the kiss as she mewled, not caring if it sounded needy or desperate, but he didn’t seem to care either. On the contrary, judging by the way he buried his face in her neck, and humid, scorching lips caressed the sensitive skin there, as he kissed and licked his way up until he bit her lobe, teeth sharp and mean.

His hot breath tickled her ear as he drawled:

“Lil’ mama likes her hair pulled, hmm?”

And that was her ruined.

She’d be a damn liar if she said it didn’t make her wet. God, that was the most delicious form of torture. The only thing Beth wanted at the moment was to take him upstairs and have him in every way a human being could own another. Her breath was heavy and uneven, out of control just like the rest of her. Beth tried to breathe, get oxygen in her system, and be able to think. They couldn’t cross that last line, not yet. She didn’t feel ready, and if they didn’t stop that now, she didn’t know if she could resist him.

After trying to breathe through her nose and exhale slowly, she kept her face buried in his shoulder, smelling the woody scent of his perfume on his hoodie. The tight hold she kept on him loosened a bit as she started to regain some sense back. 

_He’d probably have my nail marks there as well._

It made her feel good, knowing she had marked him too. The way their feelings were mingling together, entwining as if they were one, made everything feel unreal, too powerful to explain or control. Rio still kept his barriers down, allowing her to sense every emotion and intention. He wasn’t hiding anything and that was his way of showing her he was ready to prove his words to Beth. 

Was he really desperate for her to believe him? Well, he was trying or he wouldn’t be there. She decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. Feeling how hard his heart was beating under his hoodie as she pressed her hands in his chest, trying to put some distance between their bodies, - _with no luck, as he still kept holding her close with his arm_ \- Beth reunited all of her courage to meet his eyes and put an end to that precious moment between them.

Her voice was weak, breathless since she was still trying to get it back to normal:

“I think now we know how strong this thing between us is. And I think I proved to you that I want it though, but tonight that is all I can give. You know that already, don’t you?”

He relaxed his hold on her waist then, the fingers in her hair leaving it to fall on the base of her neck, massaging the skin there with his fingers. That affectionate side that Rio was showing warmed her guarded heart. The hard lines of his face softened as well, but he kept staring at her with an earnest look in his eyes:

“I’ll take what you can give me, nothin’ more. Even we criminals have our codes, sweetheart. And yeah, I don’ wanna share your bed when you clearly don’ trust me enough yet. I came here to change that, tho’. You’ll find out soon that this thing between us won’t let either of us lie or hide from each other, so don’ even think about it. I promise you, I’ll show you the way to the truth, but you’ll have to find it out yourself. I keep my promises, yeah? Don’ worry.”

His hand left her neck to touch her jawline, repeating that same caress from yesterday night, the back of his fingers touching her loveling, a stark contrast to the man she had met in the Glass box.

“I’ll try to trust you, but as I said, it’s not something I do easily. I just hope we can move forward. I wanna find out who started this war on you but the only thing I ask is for you to believe me when I say I wanna fix this. So, can we be partners? Can we work together to bring down whoever is playing this game with you? Aside from the FBI, of course.”

His response was given by a soft kiss on the place her neck met her shoulders, as he whispered on her skin there: 

“I think we can be partners, Elizabeth.”

Tilting her head to allow him to keep kissing her there, closing her eyes to better savor the pleasure he was giving her, Beth thought that that night was a vast improvement from the previous one. They were together in this one, and it felt great.

“Ok. Partners then.”

It sounded good to say that out loud.

  
  


\-----------------------------------

_A few hours before. The FBI._

Gretchen Zorada was once again at the office of Harold Cooper, facing the older man from her chair on the opposite side of his mahogany desk. Cooper’s face didn’t show anything, not even a hint of what he thought of the document she had laid right in front of him after their last talk _really_ early that day.

The man had welcomed her with cold politeness that actually put her at ease. She knew he respected her as a famous professional in her field but still was aware of who she represented and what that person had done to one of his most precious agents.

His face when she revealed that her client and his beloved agent were soulmates, in an elaborated story that mixed perfectly truths and lies alike, was priceless. Actually, the poor man looked stunned at first, disbelief written all over his face. However, as she told her tale and told him that she had talked to Christopher and he told her that Elizabeth Marks was safe and already at home, taken there by his men, the assistant director gave an order to one of his agents through his phone to check out the info.

Luckily for her, it didn’t take long for one of them to call back and say that, indeed, Agent Marks was back at her home, safe and unharmed...

\-------

_Cooper’s office. Early morning_

“ _See? Not that my client would ever hurt an FBI agent, but he had a very difficult thing to deal with. Those men were killed by who knows who and he found out his life was at risk in the worst way possible. He had every right to get angry and frustrated and with the weight of his position and his job on his shoulders, he snapped. It happens to everyone, Special agent Cooper” she wanted to say more but the man interrupted her, words dry and cutting like knives._

_“Your client held a gun against my agent’s head, Miss Zorada.” His frowned brows showing he wasn’t willing to forgive and forget. Not that she couldn’t blame him, but she had a list of arguments that could change that._

_“But my client didn’t pull the trigger. How could he, if he’d just found out that this woman was his soulmate? Can you think about how his head is a mess right now? And I wonder about hers. My client is being investigated by the FBI while having his life threatened. Now he found out his soulmate is an FBI agent. He is worried about his safety and hers. You and I have to work together to protect them both, don’t you think? This could ruin agent Marks’ career if it’s not handled with the utmost care.”_

_She was obviously choosing a personal angle there, knowing how much that man cared about his employees, especially Marks. She knew the chance that he could actually do something about that situation was bigger if she played that way, but Gretchen was well aware that even Cooper had limited powers inside the FBI. Although, he could become a good ally to them if they played their cards right. She wondered what he’d thought about what Gayle was doing right under his nose._

_He reacted by getting up from his chair, turning his back to her as he walked to a bookshelf placed beside the door, hands crossed behind his back. Apparently, he needed time to think alone about everything she had said before making a decision. Cooper proved her right when, a few minutes later, he turned back to face her, the lines of his face hardening as his eyes looking at her solemnly:_

_“I need time. Everything you’ve said to me was a lot to take in. There is more than just agent Marks and your client to think about here. There are more elements in the equation to consider. I can’t make a decision now, but I’ll promise you that we’ll see each other later today. Come back at seven tonight. We’ll talk then”._

_\----_

And here they were. She had used the rest of the day to work with her team and elaborate a proposal, offering a deal that would assure Christopher’s freedom, while making sure that the info that he and agent Marks were soulmates wouldn’t be revealed to the public until both their safety was guaranteed.

Gretchen watched as he hesitated, eyes looking at the document she’d written herself. It was a deal that, in truth, it was quite fair and didn’t push too much of the FBI’s limits. Christopher really had precious information that the FBI would benefit from, if only they stop to hear without trying to get him behind bars every time he was brought in for interrogation.

“So, what do you say? I gave you enough time to think. You’ve read our proposal and, frankly, I think it’s a fair deal. This is something big, and my client is willing to help you with your current investigation on tax evasion by telling everything he knows. He has some big names to give you, Special agent Cooper. He only needs protection and a guarantee that he’ll be left alone when all this ends. My client just wishes to clean up his name.” 

Well, he didn’t need to know that this last part was a lie. Not that _she_ cared.

He took a deep breath and then looked back at her.

“I agree with protecting this info from the general public and from agents of this institution for the time being. I’ll call our team of lawyers to take a look at your proposal. Also, I still need to talk to my agent and hear her side of the story but rest assured, no one in this place will know about this. Not until our lawyers give me their ok on this and then, I’ll call you again, Miss Zorada. I hope you understand my reasons to not take up your offer right now. A man in my position needs to be vigilant and very careful.”

Well, she knew he wouldn’t accept the deal right away. It was expected of a man like Harold Cooper to not trust lawyers who represented people like Christopher Hernádez. Even though, there was a veiled promise in his words that gave her hope of a positive response to her deal later. She was used to waiting for things she wanted. It was all a question of time until they close that deal. 

The only problem was that she knew her client hadn’t talked about it with dear agent Marks yet. Seriously, Gretchen wondered if deep down he had a death wish. His soulmate would hate to find out about that from her employer’s mouth and not his, she was sure.

_I need to talk with him tomorrow before she talks to Cooper or it’ll be a bloodbath later._

Smiling her sweetest smile, she got up, extending her hand for him to shake.

“Don’t worry. I can wait, but I hope you understand that they can’t, not too long anyway. The sooner we sort this out, the better, don’t you think?”

He took her hand in his, as he got up and moved around to open the door to her:

“Time is a valuable asset that many of us don’t have, my dear. Rest assured that I understand the urgency of the matter, so I won’t make you wait long. And tell your client that I can’t wait to hear from him.”

_Oh, another veiled threat. How original, Mr. Cooper._

The door opened and she looked him right in the eyes to make sure he’d hear hears:

“Oh, don’t worry, you will. I just hope you _hear_ him out this time. Have a good evening, Mr. Cooper.”

Now all she can do is cross her fingers and hope for the best.

\----------

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> O.0 I know. I wanted them to have sex too, but I want to be a special occasion for them...God, I should have put a slow-burn tag on this fic. Not that it will take THAT long for them to do it, but only now I noticed that we're on the sixth chapter but only now they've kissed. Although, things are happening a bit slow here ( I need to fix that). From this chapter on, buckle up because we're about to start this wild ride for real in the next chapters.  
> Tell me what you thought about it below ^.^  
> Thanks again for all the kudos, comments, and subscriptions.  
> <3 u!!!  
> ps: KEEP USING MASKS.


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